The Reason is You
by Kimura
Summary: The Doctor Ten and Jack are separated while traveling together. Jack must make his way on a strange, new world until the Doctor can find him again. He makes a new friend whose past may just be as mysterious as Jack's own. Just who is Daniel, exactly? Slash
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: The Doctor, Jack Harkness, the Rift, and the TARDIS all belong the BBC._

Jack wandered moodily around the control room of the TARDIS as the Doctor piloted them through the Vortex. The room was unusually quiet, save for the noise of the ship.

The Doctor had rebuffed another one of Jack's sexual overtures. The Time Lord's words from earlier rang in his head.

_I can't, Jack. _

… _this is something I can't give you. We can't have this. _

Jack had heard it all before, but that wasn't making it any easier this time. He continued to hold onto hope, even as it seemed to slip from his fingers.

Tired of pacing in circles, Jack walked down the ramp to the door and opened it.

"Jack, what are you doing? We're in the Vortex!" the Doctor shouted to him.

"It's not like you have any windows, Doc. Just need some air," Jack called back over his shoulder. "Not like it would kill me anyway," he muttered quietly.

The words had barely left his lips when the TARDIS shuddered and tipped violently to one side, as if it had hit something.

Unprepared, Jack tumbled headfirst out of the TARDIS, the sound of the Doctor shouting his name fading away into the distance.

* * *

Jack woke up on a solid surface. He groaned and shifted his body slowly, pleased to find that, as usual, everything was back in place and unharmed. He carefully pushed himself up and looked around.

It was night, and he was lying in the middle of a circle of concrete with a path going off each side. He looked up at the stars.

_Damn. Not home sweet home_, he thought as he gazed at the unfamiliar constellations and three moons. _Where am I?_ Memories of falling out of the TARDIS filtered back to him. He looked around for the familiar police box, but it was nowhere in sight.

He realized with a jolt that the Doctor had no idea when or where he was. He fell through the Vortex; he could be anywhere and anywhen. And he had no means of communicating with the Doctor either.

The thought of living through more centuries on a foreign planet with no friends was not particularly appealing.

_Damn it! I was finally traveling with him, and I screwed it up, because I had to have a look out the door!_ Jack temporarily pushed his frustration aside. If he wanted to keep his body in working order, he needed to pull himself together.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw that there was a railing along one side of the pavement circle he was standing in. He walked over to it and looked over the edge. Squinting through the darkness, he could make out the faint shape of a canyon below him. The pavement he was on seemed to be a walkway along it, and this particular section was probably where people could stop and take pictures.

_I wonder why I landed here_, he thought as he followed the sloping pavement down along the canyon. _I could have landed in the bottom of the canyon or in the ocean._ Jack stopped in his tracks and walked backwards.

A tingling feeling washed over him as he did so, as if a very mild current were passing through him. It was instantly recognizable; he knew exactly what he was standing on, because he'd done so many times before.

It was a rift, just like the one back in Cardiff. _It may even run under the canyon itself_, Jack thought to himself. _If I can get to civilization, maybe I can find some way to use the rift to send a signal to the Doctor … if there __is__ civilization on this planet_. He returned to the downward path, hoping that it did indeed lead to whatever civilization was on this planet.

* * *

Jack reached the end of the path as dawn was beginning to break. He heaved a sigh of relief as he saw small spacecraft in the air, flitting around a starbase. Jack had seen places like the town in front of him before; it was a colony.

The large, gunmetal gray base loomed like a mountain behind the town. Spreading out from all sides were long rows of prefabricated barracks that had been set down for the planet's first construction workers. The off-white arms were divided by a wide, paved road leading to the base. It was the only paved road Jack could see. The colony was obviously in its infancy. Outside the circle of barracks, small residential houses were popping up. The population was expanding to include families and small businesses.

Slightly apart from the residential area were building skeletons consisting of metal frames and cinder blocks. It was hard to tell whether they were going to be resorts or large office buildings, but there was no mistaking the grand scale of the construction. There was a main throughway going through the construction and ending just inside the residential area; it was also unpaved, and the vehicles zipping along it kicked up yellow sand as they went. At the end of the road, there was a row of what looked to be humble shops, bars, and taverns: the respite for the construction workers and their families, no doubt. It was obviously the center of business for the colony, though Jack could see how things would change once the larger buildings and more housing were finished. For now, though, it looked like the place to start to …

_What?_ Jack asked himself. _Get answers? Information? Get a job? Start all over again?_ He sighed, shaking his head.

Though there were spacecraft coming and going, the colony was new enough that it would probably raise a few questions if he tried to leave with no explanation as to how he got there – especially if it was policed by someone like the Judoon.

Jack reached the bottom of the pathway, which ended in a dirt parking lot. A sign caught his eye, and he was incredibly relieved to find that it was in English. There was no TARDIS to translate for him if it wasn't. The sign gave basic information on Leighton Canyon and directions to various hiking paths. It also told him the name of the foreign planet: Azamarya.

_Looks like they set up a tourist spot to help draw colonists in_, Jack said to himself as he walked away from the sign. _And they're most likely human colonists. That's another point in my favor. But … that also means it's not the 21__st__ century, so I won't be able to contact my team. And God only knows where the Doctor is now. _

Jack mentally shook off the negative thoughts. He would still try to find a way to use the Rift to send a message. He'd waited years for the TARDIS to appear in Cardiff; he could wait a few more for the Doctor to find him.

_That is, __if__ he's even looking for you_, a small voice pointed out. Jack shook his head to clear it of that line of thinking; he didn't have time for it. Whatever disagreements they'd had, the Doctor wouldn't just leave him now.

As Jack reached the end of parking lot, he came to a long, unpaved road leading towards the fledgling city. He sighed inwardly. "Looks like these boots were made for walkin'."

* * *

About two hours later, Jack had made it to the city proper. He'd passed a few jeeps on their way to the canyon, but no one was heading back towards the city at this time of day. At least that had confirmed that this was, mostly, a human colony. He had long ago removed his heavy coat and slung it over his shoulder. Taking a look around, he didn't look too terribly out of place. The inhabitants of Azamarya didn't look too different from 21st century humans, though their clothing was a bit more modern. Everyone – including Jack – was covered in yellow sand churned up by construction and traffic along the unpaved roads. It was probably the most advanced frontier town Jack had come across. And yet, from the looks of the buildings going in and the beautiful canyon he'd nearly landed on, Jack could see the potential for resorts and more tourist attractions.

He looked around the "town center" and located what looked to be a bar with lodging above it. It was a rough concrete and wood structure with small shuttered windows on the first floor and larger ones on the second.

Jack stopped abruptly before crossing the "street" as a land hovercraft lumbered his direction; it was easily twice the size of a Mack truck. His eye caught sight of a young man, walking in the middle of the "street," consulting some sort of electronic device. He seemed to be completely oblivious to everything around him.

"Hey!" Jack shouted as the large hovercraft neared. "HEY! You! Get out of the way!"

The young man didn't hear him, and the hovercraft continued speeding along.

Jack raced across the road and shoved the young man out of the way with only a second to spare. He had time to hear the slamming of brakes and see the kid go sprawling to safety before the truck barreled into him.

* * *

Jack sucked air in noisily through his lungs, popping once again into the land of the living. He heard some startled exclamations around him and slowly opened his eyes. A circle of heads was staring down at him, but he only recognized one: the young man he'd pushed out of the way of the truck.

"Are you all right?!" an older woman cried, pushing the others away to give him some air. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see any pedestrians!"

Jack realized she was perilously close to tears.

"Someone call a medic!" someone else shouted.

"No need, I'm fine," Jack slowly pushed himself up to his elbows. "See? No harm done. Don't give it a second thought."

The driver managed to restrain her blubbering. "Lord, you could've been killed."

"It's as much my fault as yours," the young man said in a crisp British accent. He offered Jack a hand up.

Jack accepted it with a grin and let the stranger pull him to his feet. "That sounds about right," Jack agreed. "You need to watch where you're going."

The crowd was becoming more interested in the mangled front bumper of the truck; they surged around the driver, offering comfort and shooting questions. Jack breathed a quick sigh of relief that the attention was off of him for the most part.

"You're extremely lucky, considering the look of that bumper," the young man commented. "You've hardly a scratch on you."

Jack deliberately leaned on his shoulder. "Yeah, knocked the wind the hell out of me, though. I think I should sit down." Jack looked the young man up and down quickly; he was handsome in a quiet way – short dark blond hair with sparkling hazel eyes. He wasn't quite dressed like a construction worker … not with those relatively crisp pants and loose button-down shirt.

"Of course," the stranger replied, slinging Jack's arm around his shoulder. "Let's get you inside."

"Thanks," Jack grunted, continuing to fake injury.

"No. Thank you. You saved my life."

"You're welcome. Do me a favor and take your mother's advice: look both ways next time."

"So, how can I repay you for pushing me out of the way and risking your own life?" he asked as he ushered Jack into the quiet bar and helped him to sit down.

"Well … you can start by buying me a drink."

* * *

Jack thirstily gulped down an entire glass of water before moving onto his beer.

The man across from him was eyeing Jack curiously. "You look like you've been out in the hot sun all day."

"Well, I was. Took a long walk out to Leighton Canyon. Beautiful view." He stuck out his hand. "Captain Jack Harkness."

"Pleased to meet you, Captain. My name is – Daniel Gallagher," he answered, shaking Jack's hand and releasing it.

Jack noticed the pause before the name and recognized the implications. It clearly wasn't his real name, and he was unused to the alias. He decided to let it slide, lest is lead back to questions about his own name. "So, Daniel, what were you doing in the middle of the street?"

Daniel held up the broken electronic device. "I was taking readings. Now I'll have to spend the rest of the afternoon fixing this thing. But it's a small price to pay, all things considered."

"I would say so. You should be more careful."

"This from the man that threw himself in front of the truck and walked away without a scratch." The look on his face told Jack that Daniel was still searching for answers.

Jack took another gulp of his beer and shrugged good-naturedly. "Guess the universe couldn't let something this gorgeous get banged up."

"True enough," Daniel answered. He froze and blushed as he realized the words that had slipped out. "Uh, anyway, I guess I'll just have to wait 'til tomorrow to continue my work."

"What were you taking readings of, anyway?"

"Oh, just energy readings. School – project. And you, what were you doing up at Leighton Canyon so early? It's a bit early for tourists to be arriving."

Jack shifted and took a long drink of his beer. "Nah, I'm not a tourist. Came here looking for work. Place like this, there should be plenty."

Daniel sipped his drink. "Oh? And what is your line of work? What are you Captain of?"

"Well, nothing right now. Was in the military, that's all. And I take whatever kind of work comes my way. Not much to tell. Anyway, why'd your school send you all the way out here to take energy readings? What's your project about?"

Daniel waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's all terribly dull, I assure you. So, when did you arrive on Azamarya?"

Jack raised one eyebrow. "You're awfully curious."

Daniel smiled. "You're awfully mysterious."

"As are you. I mean, I could ask what school you go to, what transport ship you came on, and what degree you're going for. But you don't really want to answer any of that, do you?"

Daniel looked down at his drink. "We both do seem to be dodging a lot of questions."

Jack grinned. "Probably why we're drawn to each other, huh? We know a mysterious stranger when we see one."

Daniel gulped down more of his drink. "So, what do we do about that, Captain?"

"It's Jack. And I think … well, we could stop with all the questions. I don't really want to lie to you, and I'd like to think you don't want to lie to me."

"I don't," Daniel agreed, almost a little too quickly.

"I'm glad to hear it," Jack replied, taking a long sip of beer.

"What do you propose we do then, Jack? Sit here and stare at each other in awkward silence?"

Jack chuckled. "Not at all. There's plenty of other things to talk about."

Jack's smile was infectious. "Like?"

"Hmm … like … do you have a girlfriend?"

Daniel blushed crimson and took another gulp of his drink. "No."

"Boyfriend?"

"Also, no. You?"

"Nope, neither. See? That wasn't so hard. We have plenty to talk about."

Daniel relaxed a little, his blush fading. "So, no more lies?"

Jack nodded. "That's the idea."

"If it I didn't know better, Jack, I would guess that you don't have a credit to your name, and you're trying to sweet talk me into bed, so you have a place to stay for the night."

Jack laughed. "You're perceptive, Daniel, I'll give you that. And smart. You waited until I said I wouldn't lie to you to ask. So, since I'm not going to deny any of that, I'll ask you, is it going to work?"

"Hmm … little early to tell, I think."

"Well, there are other things we can do besides talk." He brushed his fingers against Daniel's hand. "Do you like that?"

"Yes," Daniel answered slowly. Jack could tell he was very curious now.

Jack took Daniel's hand in both of his, turned it over and kissed the inside of his wrist. "How about that?"

"Yeah."

Jack could see Daniel's breathing speed up a bit, and the younger man didn't pull away in the slightest.

"One more question, then." He released Daniel's hand. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

Daniel took in a slow breath. "Yes."

Jack leaned over the table and kissed Daniel softly on the mouth. He tried to keep a triumphant grin off his face as he sat back down.

Daniel's blush had returned. He coughed nervously and fished around for something in his pocket. Once he had located it, he tossed it across the table.

Jack caught the key effortlessly. "Hm. Must be a better kisser than I thought."

Daniel gave him a half-hearted glare. "Go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up. I have work to do. I'll meet you back here tonight for supper." He stood up, taking his device with him.

Jack grinned up at him. "Yes, sir. Try to stay out of trouble."

Daniel laughed. "I'd tell you the same, but I'm starting to think you're incapable. Until tonight, Captain."

Jack nodded in response, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he watched his new friend leave the bar.

_Maybe this place won't be so bad after all_.

* * *

After Jack had showered and dusted the worst of the yellow sand off his clothes, he descended back down to the bar.

"Looking for someone, sweetheart?" a middle-aged woman asked. She set down the glass she had been drying.

Jack grinned at her. "Think I just found her."

The woman pretended to swat him away. "Sorry, I'm married."

"But you're in charge of this establishment, right?"

"That I am."

"Well, I'm in need of a job."

"Sorry, honey, not hiring. Can I get you a drink?"

Jack shook his head and tried again, sitting down at the bar and leaning forward. "There must be something around here I can help you with. Heavy lifting? Dishes? Doesn't make a difference to me."

"Well, damn, you're persistent. But no, we humble colonists have it all under control." She walked down the bar to serve another customer.

Jack looked around the room and spotted a piano in the corner gathering dust. He smiled to himself and walked over to it slowly. He poked a few keys idly, testing to see if it was in tune.

The woman finished with her customer and walked over to Jack. "Can you play?"

Jack turned around to face her, his trademark grin back in place. "That's what they tell me. Why do you ask?"

"We used to have a piano player, but he decided to leave this planet. Nightly business has been dropping ever since. If you're any good, you can play at night. I can't pay you a salary, but you can keep whatever tips you get."

Jack sat down at the piano bench. "What's your name?"

"It's Mrs. Miller to you."

Jack grinned up at her. "Well, Mrs. Miller, I'm Captain Jack Harkness. Let me know what you think." He broke into an impressive rendition of "Piano Man."

Mrs. Miller closed her eyes and smiled, just listening.

Jack finished off after the first refrain. "So?"

"You're hired, so to speak, Captain Harkness."

"Please, ma'am, call me Jack."

* * *

It was well into happy hour before Daniel returned. Jack had gathered quite a crowd around the piano, continuing to switch between rowdy sing-a-longs and slower numbers when people could chat and enjoy their drinks.

When he could see her, Mrs. Miller was beaming at him, and Jack was pleased to see his tip jar filling up.

Daniel walked through the crowd, and Jack finished up the piece he was playing and announced he was taking a break.

"I see you found work," Daniel said dryly.

Jack grinned at him as they sat down at a small table in a quiet corner. "Sure did. Turns out live music is a bit of luxury 'round these parts. What about you? Have any luck with your work?"

Daniel frowned slightly. "I repaired my scanner, but I'm having trouble analyzing the readings. Not as productive as I would have liked." He shot Jack a flirtatious look. "And I kept having the events of this morning playing through my mind and distracting me."

Jack smiled teasingly. "The part where you nearly died, or the part where you met a mysterious stranger and gave him a key to your room?"

Daniel returned the smile. "Both, since one led to the other."

Jack waved down a waitress for some menus. "One might even say it was fate, if you believe in that sort of thing."

"Well, even if you hadn't saved my life, I'm still glad I met you, Captain."

Jack felt color attempting to creep into his cheeks; it was rare that anyone could make him blush. "I'm starting to think you're just calling me that to tease me."

Daniel grinned back at him as the waitress deposited two menus in front of them. "Well, I don't hear you objecting."

Jack bit his lip, suddenly feeling that he'd completely lost the upper hand in the conversation. "Maybe that's because I kinda like it."

Daniel gave him a wicked smile while peering over his menu. "Really … _Captain_?"

Jack firmly repressed a shudder and grabbed his menu, trying to concentrate on food. If it were up to him, he'd cart the kid upstairs right then and there. But they both needed some food after a long day, and he still had another few hours of piano playing ahead of him.

After the waitress had taken their order, Jack changed the subject. "Daniel, I'm going to ask you something that might involve you answering some questions. But only if you want to. They only need me here playing at night. I'd like to help you with your work. If your school allows it, that is."

Daniel looked thoughtful. "I could probably use some company and a second pair of eyes. So long as you're willing to –"

"I get it. I won't push for answers you can't give. So, what can you tell me?"

"I'm studying energy readings from a natural phenomenon on the planet," Daniel answered. "They're in a state of flux, and they shouldn't be. I'm trying to locate the cause of the fluctuation. Once I do that, I'll … er, write it up for my – report, and head back to … school."

Since he'd just agreed to not ask anymore questions than necessary, Jack decided to go along with the cover story. "Is this your final exam?"

Daniel nodded. "You could call it that, yeah."

"So, a natural phenomenon?"

"Yes. I'm not sure you'd understand the type of energy it puts out, Jack, but my readings are fluctuating so much that I can't even locate it, let alone study it!" Daniel's frustration had seeped into his words.

"Relax, Dan, we'll find it. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Daniel looked away. "Sorry, it's hard not to be. I've got a lot riding on this."

"Is there a deadline for handing in your research?"

"No, there isn't really."

"Then what's your hurry? Especially when you've got such a handsome research partner?"

Jack finally won a genuine laugh from Daniel. "There is that. But if the fluctuations stop before I can determine the cause …"

"Don't worry; we'll figure it out. I'm not as dumb as I look."

Daniel smiled. "You don't look dumb at all."

"Oh really? What do I look like then?" Jack asked, eyebrows raised. They were interrupted as the waitress set down two plates of food. It gave Daniel the time he needed to gather himself together.

"Someone whose break is nearly over," Daniel answered with a smirk.

Jack glared at him before digging into his supper. "You got me there. Any special requests you want me to play?"

Daniel shrugged, starting into his own food. "You're quiet talented. I'm sure whatever you play will sound great."

"Does that mean you're gonna stay and watch?"

"Well, somebody will have to beat the girls off you with a stick."

Jack nearly choked on his food. "Oh? Why's that?"

Daniel shrugged. "Because you have other plans tonight … right, Captain?"

Jack swallowed carefully. "I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you, Dan."

"Actually, I think you're excellent teacher."

* * *

Jack was unusually thoughtful as he played his second shift. The crowd was the same as before, possibly slightly larger. The tips continued to come in, as did a few requests for songs.

Jack couldn't stop thinking about Daniel, even though for the most part, his "roommate" was absorbed in studying his readings. He would put the device down every now and then, though, to watch and listen to Jack play.

There was so much about this man he didn't know. And things seemed to only get more puzzling the more they talked. One moment, he was the geeky "grad school student", absorbed in his work. Next, he was blushing and stammering at some pass Jack had made. And then suddenly he would turn the tables on Jack completely and leave him the one stammering. The kid was an absolute enigma. Or he was just an overachieving student who hadn't had much experience in the dating world. Then again, there was still the question of whether or not he was really a "student."

Jack was distracted from his musing as a group of women sat down at a table close to the piano. They were mostly dressed in work clothes, but some of them were quite pretty underneath the dirt on their faces. Jack gave them a winning smile and broke into a beautiful rendition of "As Time Goes By."

Jack played it up as much as he could, knowing he would get better tips that way. The girls were reacting well, talking, giggling, pointing. Finally, two of the got up and put a large tip in his jar.

Jack winked at them. "Thanks, ladies. Any requests?"

"Yeah, how about your room key?" one of them asked, leaning on the piano.

"Heh, 'fraid I don't know that one."

"Sure you do," the other one said, sitting down on the piano bench beside him. "I'll play on the bottom, and you can be on top."

Jack was about to reply when he looked up and caught Daniel's eye. He was outright glaring at the women and looked like he was about to get up and say something. It was the most emotion Jack had seen on the young man's face, and he felt a small pang of guilt.

"Sorry, ladies, no duets tonight," Jack said firmly, breaking into a cheerful rendition of "Camptown Races."

The women stalked off, going back to their table and filling their friends in on what happened. They spent the rest of the night shooting him dirty looks and stubbornly refusing to applaud. No one else in the bar seemed to notice.

Daniel was involved in his work again when Jack finished his shift. "You about ready for bed?"

"What?" Daniel looked up. "Oh, right! Sorry, lost track of things there." He gathered up his things. "You're quite the musician. Bet you did well with the tips tonight, especially from the ladies."

Jack caught the slight bitterness in his voice. "Maybe so. But I told them I wasn't interested in any duets tonight. At least … not with them." He pulled the key Daniel had given him out of his pocket and twirled it on his finger. "So, shall we?"

Daniel smiled in response. "We shall, Captain."

* * *

"I apologize that there's only one bed," Daniel said as he dropped his instrument and papers in a heap on the floor.

Jack came up behind him and nuzzled his neck. "Now, why would you apologize for a silly thing like that?"

Daniel leaned into the touch, his eyes half-closing.

"Are you nervous?" Jack asked, slipping his arms around Daniel's waist and pulling him back against him.

"I'm not a virgin, Jack."

"That's not the only reason people get nervous."

Daniel turned around in Jack's embrace, took his head in his hands, and kissed him deeply. The kiss devolved quickly as Jack steered them toward the bed, and they both fumbled with clothing.

"God, I've wanted you all day," Jack breathed as he laid Daniel down on the mattress. He hungrily kissed all over Daniel's chest as the younger man's hands tangled in his hair. He pulled Jack down and sucked on his collar bone.

"Those women – they wanted you," Daniel gasped out as Jack's hands wandered below his waist. "I would've – fought for you."

Jack smiled. "You're sweet." He bent down and kissed the blond hard, letting his fingers at last circle around his erection.

Daniel gasped, pulling away from the kiss. "Oh, God, Jack …"

Jack grinned and moved down the bed a bit, taking Daniel's hard cock into his mouth without any warning.

Daniel cried out, digging his fingers into the mattress. When he came back to his senses, he clumsily started to reach for Jack to reciprocate, but Jack shook his head and gently pressed his wrists back down. Daniel could only moan and squirm as Jack expertly sucked his shaft, moving his mouth up and down in a steady motion and swirling his tongue around it. Daniel surrendered himself to his ministrations, closing his eyes and letting his climax begin to build.

He wasn't sure what else Jack had planned when the other man ended his sucking with audible pop.

"I would suck you off, but then it won't be as much fun for you when I fuck you," Jack explained. Daniel looked mildly surprised at the turn of events but showed no signs of nervousness.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any … um –"

Jack just grinned and moved up the bed until his own erection was in front of Daniel's face.

Daniel smiled back and then eagerly began to suck on Jack's cock.

Jack's head tilted back, his eyes closed in pleasure. He kept his pressure on Daniel's wrists, wanting only to feel that mouth on his shaft. He pulled away when he felt he was wet enough and released Daniel.

Jack rocked himself back onto his heels and kissed a wet trail down Daniel's torso, taking his the blond's erection in his hand simultaneously. Daniel moaned and squirmed under his ministrations. Jack took the opportunity to stick two fingers in his mouth and coat them thoroughly before lifting Daniel's legs up slightly and probing one digit into his entrance.

Daniel pulled himself into a half-sitting position and sucked enthusiastically on one of Jack's darkened nipples.

Jack gasped softly, nearly losing concentration on what he was doing. He let his head tilt back as he worked his finger inside Daniel, feeling the tight ring inside begin to loosen. He added a second digit inside and bent his head to catch Daniel's mouth in a heated kiss.

Daniel began eagerly grinding his hips upwards towards Jack.

Jack broke off the kiss and grinned at Daniel, lowering him back down onto the bed. He ran his slick fingers over his cock one final time. He entered the blond in one smooth motion, gave both of them a moment to adjust and then began thrusting slowly.

Jack's mind was reeling. He didn't realize how much he needed a release, after all the frustration of the Doctor's rejections. He quickly pushed the thought away and looked down at the handsome blond moaning underneath him.

Daniel's eyes were closed, and his back was arched up, welcoming Jack's thrusts.

"Oh, God … Jack, faster."

"Ah, ah, what do we say?"

Daniel opened his eyes and gave Jack a very convincing pleading look. "Captain?"

Jack literally shuddered this time, and his body seemed to fulfill the request of its own accord.

Daniel's body was reacting quickly to the driving force hitting his prostate; Jack guessed it had been a while since he had done this as well. He wrapped one hand around the blond's cock, pumping it in unison with his thrusts.

Daniel cried out a few moments later, cum shooting onto Jack's stomach and hand. Jack let his own orgasm wash over him, his seed spilling deep inside Daniel. When his breathing began to come back to normal, Jack reluctantly withdrew from Daniel's welcoming heat and collapsed on the bed beside him.

"See?" he said, ruffling the blond's hair. "Plenty of room for two."

"Good thing, too," Daniel replied, draping one arm and leg over Jack. His body slowly relaxed as his breathing evened out.

Jack decided that it had been a long day and decided to let himself drift off to sleep in the other man's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next day felt almost like a regular day at work for Jack. He and Daniel wandered around the outskirts of the town, taking readings on their instruments and trying to zero in on the source of the energy fluctuations.

"All of the construction and the energy from the space port are really muddying up these readings," Jack commented. "Do you think it would help if we got away from some of these things to get a clearer view?"

"Hmmm … possibly. If we had a vehicle, we could easily ascend or go well out beyond town limits," Daniel replied. "Unfortunately, I came here on a transport ship. So, unless you have transportation …"

"Afraid not. Could we rent something?"

"Probably not something that could get us far enough away."

"Well, what if we took a Jeep up to Leighton Canyon? That's a pretty good elevation, and it's not so far that we'd need anything more than a Jeep."

Daniel looked over at him. "That's brilliant. I thought you were new to this planet. How do you know so much about the Canyon?"

Jack gave him a soft smile and kissed him quickly on the mouth.

Daniel smiled in return, understanding. "That's much more pleasant than lying, wouldn't you say?"

"Absolutely. Now let's go find us a Jeep."

* * *

"You were right, Jack," Daniel shouted over the wind and noise of the Jeep. "The readings are starting to clear up!"

"Glad to hear it," Jack called back. It had been a long time since he'd gone off-roading. _Well, I suppose this is a road of sorts_, he thought.

"Jack! The readings aren't just getting clearer. They're getting stronger! What if the source of the energy is the Canyon itself?"

Jack had to resist slamming on the brakes as the realization hit him. _The Rift. He's studying the Rift! But how would he know about it? Maybe the one on Earth has been better studied by this time period … _He decided to remain guarded for now.

"You never know, it could be!"

_If the energy readings from the Rift are fluctuating, that could mean very bad things for this colony. What would cause them to go haywire?_

"Jack!"

"What?"

"Pull over!"

"What for?"

"NOW!"

Jack pulled the Jeep to the side of the road, bringing it to a stop. Daniel all but leapt out of the vehicle and quickly lost his breakfast on the yellow sand.

"Dan?" Jack jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around the front of the car. "You all right?"

Daniel wiped his mouth, leaning back against the Jeep. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just … motion sickness. You'd think after space travel, a bumpy road would be nothing."

Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. But I suggest you stop staring at your readings until we stop driving. I know I get a little nauseous when I read in a car."

Daniel nodded, putting his scanner down and taking a canteen from their supplies.

"It's not much further," Jack assured him as his companion rinsed out his mouth and took a slow drink. "Then it's just a nice, long walk up the path."

"Sounds good," Daniel said, putting the canteen back. "Fresh air and all that." He paused. "Jack, when you were at the Canyon before, did you notice anything strange?"

"Yeah, I did," Jack answered carefully. He turned and walked back to the driver's side of the Jeep.

"What was it?" Daniel asked, hopping back into the Jeep. "What did you see?"

"I didn't see anything," Jack replied, starting the Jeep back up.

"Then what was strange?"

"Just trust me, Dan. I need to know that we're talking about the same thing before I say anything else."

Daniel let the subject drop as they bumped along the road to the Canyon parking lot.

* * *

The two hadn't said much as they climbed up the long path of the Canyon. Daniel was occasionally muttering about how the readings were much stronger. Jack was carrying a backpack of supplies and enjoying the view of the Canyon by daylight this time around. He was eager for the secrecy to be over; if Daniel was studying the Rift and knew what it was, he could hopefully help Jack send a message to the Doctor. The Canyon had sloping sides, spotted with grass and trees. The bottom was a long, long way down.

"The Canyon is definitely the source of the readings," Daniel confirmed. He looked over at Jack. "You knew this all along, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't. I knew there was something in the Canyon, but I didn't know what kind of energy readings you were taking, so I wasn't sure until you said the readings were getting stronger."

"But how can you know about this?"

Jack smirked. "How can you?"

Daniel sputtered ineffectually for a moment.

"Look," Jack continued. "We're standing next to a rift in time and space. From what your readings are saying, the energy coming from it is fluctuating. Now we both know that could mean bad things for this colony. So, why don't we just put aside the mysteries and get to work figuring this out."

Daniel stared at him for a long moment. "The more I get to know you, Jack, the more of a mystery you become."

"It's just part of my charm. Anyway, do we have any indication now where the fluctuations might be centered?"

Daniel went back to business, slowing scanning the Canyon in front of them. "It looks like the source of the fluctuations is in the Canyon itself. I can't believe this was here, and I couldn't find it."

"You needed to clear your head and your readings."

"The Rift itself runs along the bottom of the Canyon starting … about a mile to our west. The source of the fluctuations seems to be coming from the East … along the side of the Canyon." He turned off the scanner. "Any idea how to get down there?"

"Sure," Jack said, climbing over the railing. "I'll climb down and take a look. Wait here." Jack turned and started picking his way carefully down.

"Jack! Wait!" Daniel shouted after him. "You don't know where to go!"

Jack heard the blond coming behind him. "Dan, stay there! You can direct me! It's dangerous!"

"Sorry, Captain," Daniel said, climbing down beside him. "You don't get to have all the fun."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just be careful. Where we heading?"

"Let's descend for a bit longer. This is one the least steep parts. Then we need to head east for about half a mile. If it's too tricky, we'll have to go all the way to the bottom and climb back up. The bottom looks to be relatively smooth."

"Got it," Jack replied, starting to descend again. "Let's get moving."

* * *

Two hours later, as they had just begun to turn east, a fine rain started to fall.

"Apparently, we should have checked the weather report before heading out this morning," Daniel commented.

"Apparently," Jack repliedagreed. "Well, we're too far down to turn back now. Let's keep going. So, do you think the source of the fluctuations is natural?"

"I don't know of any natural phenomenon that would cause this kind of interference."

The rain started to pound harder. The yellow sand started to run in streams down the side of the Canyon.

"We've got to find shelter!" Jack shouted over the storm. "We can't climb back up until the rain stops!"

"I think I can see a cave ahead! Keep going!"

Jack picked his way carefully; the rain couldn't have come at a worse time. They were walking along a very narrow ridge along the canyon wall that dropped straight for about four feet before sloping outwards again.

Jack whirled around as he heard a small rumble and a cry. He turned just in time to see Daniel disappear over the ridge and down the slope.

"DAN!"

He looked down the canyon, but he could hardly see in front of him through the rain. He walked back the few steps to where his companion had fallen and saw that the path had given way under him. Jack sat down on the path and lowered himself down over the ridge, stumbling downhill a bit when he hit the slope.

"Dan, where are you?!"

Only the rumble of thunder answered him.

"Shit," he muttered, climbing further down the slope. The journey seemed to be achingly slow. He wasn't particularly worried about himself, but he knew that if he got injured, he might not be able to find Daniel in timean injury would slow down his search.

About fifty feet down the slope, he finally spotted a figure sprawled against a large bush.

"Dan!" Jack knelt next to the inert form; he was covered in mud and had cuts on his arms and face from tumbling down the hill. He reached out and shook the blond's shoulder. "Dan, wake up!"

Daniel groaned in response, trying to sit up.

Jack stilled him, putting a hand on his chest. "Whoa, easy. Don't get up yet. Where's it hurt?"

Daniel opened his hazel eyes, which were struggling to focus on Jack's face. "I suppose you mean … other than everywhere?" He brought his eyes back into focus. "I'm all right, I think. Just a knock on the head and … my ankle is most likely sprained from the fall."

Jack leaned over him, pulling up his pant leg slightly to check that there wasn't a visible wound on the ankle. "Looks like you're right. C'mon, let's get you up, nice and slow." He pulled helped Daniel to sitting position and then stood, pulling the younger man up with him.

Daniel bit back a cry and leaned heavily on Jack, unable to put weight on his injured ankle.

"I've got you," Jack said, wrapping his arm securely around Daniel's waist. "Let's keep heading towards the cave."

"How am I going to get up there?"

"We'll find a way."

Daniel nodded and hobbled along as best he could. "Jack, I'm sorry I got you into this."

Jack almost laughed but settled for flashing Daniel a reassuring grin. "Trust me; I've been in situations that were far worsefar worse situations. This is just a little rain and mud, nothing to worry about. Besides, I volunteered, remember?"

Daniel smiled back. "Right, right. My 'research assistant.' You know, this is twice you've rescued me. It's getting a little embarrassing."

"Hey, if it means you end up in my arms, I'm okay with it."

Daniel laughed. "You're incorrigible." He looked around and back up towards the ridge. "We need to start heading up, or we're going to pass the cave."

"All right. Hang on to me tight." Jack started ascending the slope sideways, pulling Daniel along behind him. He grabbed onto bushes, small trees, and large rocks as he went, anything to help keep them from sliding back down the muddy hill. Daniel was doing his best to help, trying to push forward and upward on with his good leg. "We're almost there. I can see the cave." Jack wiped water out of his eyes. "How long do these storms last?"

"From what I read, sometimes hours," Daniel answered. "The climate's very unpredictable."

Jack stopped below the cave. The ridge pathway they had been on earlier ended at the mouth of the cave, which yawned down towards them. The entrance up to it consisted of large, round rocks, slick with rain.

"Now what?" Daniel asked, panting from their climb.

Jack let go of him for a second and slid off his backpack, helping Daniel put it on instead.

"What are you doing?"

Jack grinned. "This." He bent down, grabbed Daniel's arm, and pulled him onto his back, over his shoulders. He hooked his other arm around Daniel's good leg and stood up.

Daniel obligingly remained still. "And what led you to the conclusion that this was a good idea?"

Jack stepped onto the nearest rock and then started picking his way upwards. "This is too much stress for your ankle, and we need to get to safety. We'll be washed to the bottom of the canyon otherwise. Now stay still up there." Jack worked as quickly and steadily as he could while keeping his balance on the rocks.

"Really, I think this goes far beyond the call and duty of a research assistant," Daniel commented.

"Nah, not really," Jack said as he continued towards the shelter of the cave. "We research assistants are a hardy bunch, and it's our solemn duty to protect our researchers."

Daniel chuckled at that.

Jack's feet finally found solid ground and a few steps later, relief from the rain. He carefully set Daniel down and took the backpack from him. "Is there a flashlight in here?"

Daniel nodded as he slid down against the wall, easing himself to the cave floor.

Jack dug around in the backpack and pulled out the flashlight, switching it on and shining it around the cave. It was about thirty feet deep and twenty feet wide – perfect for keeping them dry and not deep enough to worry about any creatures living in it. As he searched near the mouth of the cave, he gathered up some braches and bits of trees that had probably washed in from the last storm and dried in the sun.

Once he had finished his inspection, he knelt down next to Daniel. "How's the ankle?"

"Sore right now, after all that hobbling," the blond answered, massaging his ankle. "I think if I stay off it for a bit, I'll be all right."

"What about your head?"

"It's fine. No dizziness or blurred vision. Just a bit sore as well. There are 's first aid supplies and a lighter in the pack."

Jack nodded and went digging around in the pack again, pulling out his large coat, which was mostly dry and draping it over a rock.

"You cold?" he asked Daniel over his shoulder.

"Nope. Good thing the temperature's mild here."

Jack continued to rummage around, pulling out a first aid kit and eventually found theind a lighter.

"I feel rather useless," Daniel commented.

Jack smiled at him as he worked to build a fire fairly close to the cave entrance. "Don't worry about it. That's This is what assistants are for. Besides, you can't do much researching in this rain."

Daniel's eyes widened. "My scanner! I must have dropped it when I fell! Did you see it?"

Jack shook his head. "Honestly, I was more worried about finding you, but I don't remember seeing it."

"Damn it," Daniel muttered.

Jack managed to get the fire started and walked back over to Daniel. "C'mon, let's get you closer to the fire and get that ankle fixed up."

Daniel nodded and grasped Jack's hand, letting him pull him onto his good leg. He made it over to the fire with minimal help from his "assistant" and sat gingerly back down. He removed his shoe and sock as Jack opened the first aid kit and took out an ace bandage.

"I've got it," Daniel said, taking the bandage from him. Jack could tell he was starting to get uncomfortable with the situation; he clearly didn't like being fussed over.

"All right. I'm gonna go hunt for that scanner."

Daniel stopped what he was doing. "Jack, you can't go back out there!"

Jack flashed him a winning smile. "It's okay. A little mud won't hurt me; besides, we need it to find out where the fluctuations are coming from." He headed towards the cave entrance.

"Jack." The voice was different than before – lower, pleading, and slightly ashamed. "Don't go."

Jack stopped and turned around.

Daniel's hazel eyes were glued to the cave floor, almost absent-mindedly wrapping his ankle.

Jack walked back towards the fire and knelt next to the younger man. "I'll stay." He reached over and fished the canteen out of the backpack, taking a slow drink.

Daniel finished wrapping his ankle and propped it up carefully on a nearby rock. He repeatedly avoided meeting Jack's gaze.

Jack accepted this and set the canteen down next to him. "You might want to clean some of that mud off, so those cuts don't get infected."

Daniel nodded, a blush creeping up his face.

Jack thought to himself that it suited him well but continued to keep his distance. He seated himself as comfortably as possible with his back against the cave wall and watched with avid interest as the soaking blond pushed strands of hair off his forehead and started to clean off some of the mud. Jack wanted to leap across the fire and offer assistance but instead enjoyed the experience of being forced to just watch and not touch. He was disappointed when the show ended and Daniel found his own rock to lean back against; tension showed in every line of his body, polar opposite of how he'd been last night.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, you know," Jack said finally.

Daniel met Jack's blue eyes at last. "Don't I? First, you save my life after I nearly got run over by a bus—"

"Truck," Jack corrected, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

"Whatever! Then you help me with my research. Then I get car sick in front of you. Then I get us stuck in a terrible rainstorm in a dangerous canyon. Then I fall on my arse and lose my bloody scanner! And, as if that wasn't enough, you have to carry me to safety, because I've gone and injured myself! So, yes! I would say I do need to be embarrassed!" Daniel's face had gone from a delicate blush to a deep pink.

Jack was puzzled. "You know, I tend to go by the theory that once someone's seen me naked, I can't really get embarrassed in front of them again. I mean, they've already seen everything I've got."

"Interesting theory, Captain," Daniel responded, his blush fading a bit.

"Besides, things are boring when everything goes perfectly," Jack continued. "I prefer adventure to smooth sailing."

Daniel finally smiled at that. "I think I do, too."

Jack grinned, folding his arms smugly. "I'll bet you do."

"You seem like someone who's had plenty of adventure in his life. Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Never. Sometimes, it's the only way to feel alive."

"And what do you do when you slow down to take a breath?"

Jack crawled over to his companion. "I find delicious, hot, wet, young things to keep me entertained."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, deliberately keeping still. "Oh really?"

Jack kissed his neck softly. "Really. You were starting to look a little cold. Thought I'd keep you warm the old fashioned way."

Daniel shivered but only at the words. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Really? I don't feel the slightest chill."

Jack pulled away, a wicked look in his eyes. "That mean you want me to stop?"

Daniel made a small strangled noise and cleared his throat again. "No, that's not what I meant … Captain."

Jack smiled lazily, taking his coat from the nearby rock and laying it on the cave floor. "I think it's high time we got out of these wet clothes, Dan."

"I couldn't agree more."

* * *

Jack was bit surprised that his companion hadn't fallen asleep. Daniel was currently spooned against his chest, comfortable and relaxed.

Jack found himself idly stroking his fine blond hair that was finally starting to dry.

"I think the rain's stopped," Daniel said quietly.

Jack listened for a moment. "Sounds like you're right. How long do you think it'll be before the mudslide dries a bit?"

"Depends whether the sun comes out or not, I would think."

"So, these kinds of weather patterns are normal for this planet, huh?"

"Well … within the last few months, yes."

Jack raised an eyebrow even though Daniel couldn't see it. "What about before that? This colony's been here longer than a few months."

"Umm …"

"You didn't do all your homework, did you?" Jack's voice was teasing.

"I was really anxious to start the assignment …"

"What if the bizarre weather isn't normal? What if it's being caused by the fluctuations from the Rift?"

Daniel sat up quickly. "You're right! How could I been so blind? The energy from the Rift could be mucking up the planet's magnetic field!"

Jack turned on to his back, folding his arms behind his head. 'That's what you get for not doing your homework."

Daniel leaned over him and kissed him enthusiastically. "Thank you, Jack. I mean … for everything."

Jack couldn't help but smile. "You're welcome, kid."

Daniel sighed in mock exasperation. "C'mon, how old are you? You can't be that much older than me."

Jack shrugged innocently. "You never know. Besides, we said no more questions." He kissed Daniel's nose lightly.

Daniel dove down for another deep kiss on the mouth; Jack's skilled tongue left him breathless. "Actually, we said no more lies. But I suppose the mystery only adds to your charm, Captain. And … you are an impossibly good kisser."

Jack chuckled and kissed him again, savoring the taste this time. "Mmm, I might have experience, but it doesn't hurt that you taste so damn good." Jack leaned up and kissed him again.

They both froze as the cave floor began to rumble.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

The rumbling grew louder, and the whole cave began to shake.

"Earthquake!" Daniel cried.

Without thinking, Jack rolled them over, keeping Daniel beneath him as parts orocks fromf the cave ceiling began to fall.

He closed his eyes, listening to Daniel's panicked breathing and the deafening tremors. Dirt and rocks began to fall onto his back.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped.

Jack slowly lifted himself off Daniel and brushed the rubble off. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," the blond answered. "You?"

"Still in one piece." He looked over towards the entrance and saw that it was partially obscured by rubble. "At least we're not trapped. Could've been worse."

Daniel had pulled himself onto his good leg and was hopping around the cave, waving the flashlight around.

"Hey, careful!" Jack warned. "We don't need any more falls today."

Daniel waved him off, examining the cave wall more closely.

Jack shrugged and picked up his coat, shaking dust and pebbles off it.

"Jack, come look at this!" Daniel was in the very back corner of the cave.

Jack set down his jacket and walked over to him.

"This cave has more than one exit now," Daniel said, pointing to a rather small hole – about two feet long and one foot wide – in the middle of the cave wall.

"I don't think we can fit through there, Dan," Jack replied, puzzled. "Besides, why would we want to?"

Daniel grinned at him and turned off the flashlight.

It wasn't much, but there was a dull glow coming from the hole.

"What the –?" Jack peered into the hole. There appeared to be some kind of passageway on the other side.

"And what do you hear?"

Jack stood still and listened. "Machinery … just faintly."

"What's machinery doing in the middle of an unexplored canyon?" Daniel queried, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Someone has a secret in this canyon," Jack agreed, catching the enthusiasm. "And whatever they're doing is probably the source of the fluctuations!"

"Exactly!"

Jack grabbed Daniel and pulled him into a fierce kiss. "You are so gorgeous when you go all scientist like that."

Daniel blushed slightly.

"So, genius, how do we get down there?"

Daniel deflated slightly. "I'm not sure. We can't fit through that hole, and we lack the tools to make it any bigger."

"I would suggest we go back for supplies, but the city is probably in a bit of chaos after that earthquake."

Daniel nodded. "If I had my scanner, I might be able to follow the fluctuations and find another way into that tunnel."

"I'd better go look for it then, while it's still daylight. Things are drying up a bit. I'll see if I can pick up some more wood for a fire, in case we need to spend the night here."

"Take the pack then," Daniel said, hopping back over towards it. He carefully removed the other supplies: water, rations, compass, battery-powered lamp, blanket, an odd-looking clock, and a pocket knife.

"Good idea." Jack bent down and slung the empty bag over his shoulder. He hesitated. "What if there's another earthquake?"

"I'll be all right," Daniel assured him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I have the best research assistant in the world, who no doubt will come to my rescue should anything befall me. And you be careful out there. If you're not back in ninety minutes, I'm coming after you."

Jack nodded and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. I'll be back. I promise." He started to head towards the mouth of the cave.

"Ahem, Captain?"

Jack turned. "Yeah?"

"Forgetting something?"

Jack ran a hand down his bare chest to his leg, pretending to check invisible pockets. "Nah, I don't think so. Clothes are overrated."

Daniel limped towards him, licking off the sweat that had pooled around his collarbone. "Mmm … I would agree if we weren't working against a limited amount of daylight."

"Tease," Jack accused, dropping the bag and pulling his clothes back on. "I'll be back to take care of you later."

"I look forward to it, Captain."


	3. Chapter 3

After scouring the canyon for about an hour, Jack managed to retrieve Daniel's scanner. It was covered in dried mud but seemed to be intact. He stowed it in the backpack with the dry wood he had managed to scavenge. He made it back to the cave just as the sun was beginning to descend.

He felt a strange sensation come over him as he climbed over the rocks in front of the entrance of the cave; it was almost like going … home.

Jack smiled to himself at the ridiculous thought. "Honey! I'm home!" he called out jokingly.

The humor was clearly lost on Daniel as he replied with a confused, "Jack? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," Jack answered, setting down the backpack and carefully removing the scanner. "Where are you?"

"In the back."

Jack headed towards the back of the cave. He nearly laughed out loud as he took in the sight of his companion sprawled out on the floor, electronics scattered around him. He'd dismantled his clock and lamp and was tinkering with whatever he'd created.

"You remind me of a friend of mine," Jack said fondly.

Daniel looked up and broke into a wide grin. "My scanner!"

"It's a little muddy. I didn't turn it on, so I don't know if it still works or not." Jack handed the device to the eager blond, who pressed a few buttons on it.

"Nope. Dead as a doornail. No matter, though." He quickly started to disassemble that as well.

"Dan, what the hell are you doing?" Jack asked, sitting down carefully after his long walk.

"This cave is more than just a cave," Daniel announced dramatically, taking parts from the scanner and attaching them to the new device.

"Oh?"

"And once I'm done with this thing, I think I can prove it."

"You're gonna keep me in suspense?"

"I was planning to, yeah."

"See, I don't know if that's going to work, Dan," Jack said, moving closer towards him. "Because if I get bored, I'm just going to have to find something to entertain me." He trailed a finger up the side of Daniel's neck, causing him to shiver.

Daniel pretended to glare at him. "Fine. Since I won't get any work done if you're going to be distracting me, I'll tell you. This cave is a hidden entrance to that tunnel." He pointed to the glowing hole he had discovered earlier.

"How'd you find that out?"

"I was scanning the cave wall and found that not all of it was natural. I even managed to find the edges of the door, though they're well hidden. It blends seamlessly back into cave when it's closed. But once I incorporate parts from the scanner, I should be able to broadcast the correct frequency to open the door. It's some kind of electronic signal. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out."

"And you figured this all out with … parts?"

Daniel nodded, continuing to work.

"Wow. That's amazing. I made love to a genius."

Daniel nearly dropped the contraption he was making. "I'm not sure I would say that."

Jack leaned closer to his ear. "What? That you're a genius? That we made love twice? Or would you rather I used the word 'fucked?'" He didn't need to be a genius to see the effect the word had on Daniel; the blond was still staring at his device, but his hands had stopped moving. "So, I'll assume from your reaction that you liked having my cock inside you on the cave floor."

Daniel silenced him by dropping his work and grabbing Jack's face in his hands, kissing him hard. When he stopped to allow them to breathe, he ground out, "You are driving me insane, Captain. You're making me act like a horny teenager. This is ridiculous."

"Just call it a study break," Jack said, reaching for the buttons on Daniel's shirt.

Daniel stopped him. "Not this time, Captain. I've been wanting to do this." He gently pushed Jack until he was leaning up against a large rock. He slowly reached for the fly of Jack's pants and spoke conversationally as he undid them. "Your clothes … they almost seem like they're from a different time period."

"You think so, huh?"

Daniel smirked. "Just another mystery to add to the list, I suppose." He had freed Jack's cock from his boxers and was ghosting his fingertips over it.

Jack tried to remain as still as possible, his breath quickening. "You got a specific plan here, Danny boy?"

"Perhaps. But if you feel the need to start issuing orders, Captain, I'll obey." He was poised with his mouth inches from the tip of Jack's cock. His hazel eyes were dark with desire.

"You want me to, don't you?"

"Since I want it badly enough, I'll answer that one. Yes. But not if you don't want to. I want this to be as perfect for you as possible, Jack."

"Then shut that noise and suck my cock, Dan."

Daniel shuddered at the words and took half of Jack's member into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive tip. He didn't break eye contact with Jack.

Jack closed his eyes, his head tilting back at the physical pleasure; the added mental kink that Daniel was under his control only increased the heat in his brain and body. The kid had obviously been in the library too long and needed someone to talk dirty to him.

"Ohh fuck, take it deeper … now."

Daniel again obeyed, still keeping his eyes on Jack. He started to move his mouth up and down in a slow rhythm. Jack forced himself to endure it, concentrating on each sensation as it passed, sparks of pleasure running through him. It had been a while since he'd taken things slow.

"Ugh, use that fucking perfect mouth and suck me harder!"

Daniel closed his eyes and again obeyed. Jack gasped audibly at the increased pressure. He reached down and grabbed a fistful of Daniel's blond hair,

"Did I say you could close your eyes?"

Daniel's eyes shot open, still dark and intense.

Jack used his grip on the blond's hair to guide his movements up and down his shaft. Then he stopped, holding him still and forcing him to tilt his head back slightly.

"Now, Dan, you're gonna sit real still while I fuck that pretty mouth."

He started thrusting forward into Daniel's mouth, guiding the blond's head forward a bit as he did so.

His brain completely lost the ability to form coherent sentences as he fucked the compliant blond with those gorgeous hazel eyes quietly watching him. As Daniel began flicking his tongue in unison with Jack's thrusts, Jack lost control and let the orgasm come crashing down on him, crying out and cumming deep in Daniel's throat. He felt his eyes fall shut and his body slump against the rock as Daniel swallowed and lapped up any remaining drops of semen.

He gently pulled Jack down to the cave floor and wormed his way onto the crook of one arm, his hand on Jack's chest. "I certainly hope I managed to please you, Captain."

Jack was still struggling to get his breathing under control. "Absolutely. You were fantastic. Thank you."

"A suitable reward for a great research assistant, I think."

Jack chuckled, relaxing at last.

"Jack," Daniel said after a long moment of silence, "I can honestly say that I've never met anyone like you."

Jack propped himself up on his elbow, grinning as usual. "You're not exactly ordinary yourself, Dan."

Daniel was quiet for a moment, tracing the line of Jack's jaw with his fingertip. Jack bent his head down and kissed him softly on the mouth.

"So, you still wanna open that door?"

Daniel nodded, grinning like a kid at Christmas. Jack pulled the flashlight out and held it for him as he finished his work.

"This would be so much easier if someone hadn't taken apart the lamp," Jack teased.

"I had to pick one or the other. I didn't exactly have a lot to work with."

"So, is this what happens when you get bored?"

"All the time. I might do it a bit less when I can travel anywhere I want to."

"Ah, planning to travel after school?"

"All over the place. I can't wait."

"Do me a favor, Dan."

"What?"

"Don't go alone."

"Why not?"

"Because … just trust me, okay? It's more fun with other people anyway."

Daniel shrugged. "If you say so."

"Would this be as much fun if you were alone?"

"That's not really a fair question, seeing as how I could have been washed the bottom of the canyon or been more seriously injured if you weren't here."

"Okay, given. But what about what we're doing now, this mystery we're trying to solve? Would you really rather be alone?"

There was a long pause. "No."

"There you go then. Don't be alone."

"You were alone when I met you, Jack. Unable to take your own advice?"

"Chronically. But this time … I was with someone, and we got separated I'm … kinda lost."

Daniel stopped and looked up at him. "You don't know where your friend is?"

"Not a clue. He could be anywhere. And I have no way to contact him right now. I just have to hope he's looking for me."

"Why wouldn't he be?"

Jack shrugged, uncomfortable with the line of questioning. "We had a fight. Pretty sure he's mad at me."

"Mad enough to leave you behind?"

"Who knows?"

Daniel looked a little upset at that and went back to his work.

"You realize we just both answered a bunch of questions," Jack said with a half-smile.

"Well, as we're going to be stuck together until we get out of this canyon, it was bound to happen sometime."

"True."

"Got it!" Dan aimed the device at the cave wall, enthusiastically pressing various buttons.

"Nothing's happening," Jack observed.

"Hang on, haven't got the right frequency yet … wait … there!"

The cave wall began to rumble and a large square section of it began to slide up.

"Dan, you're a genius!"

When the door stopped rising, they could see a short staircase, leading down to the tunnel they had seen through the hole earlier.

Daniel bent down and carefully placed all of his devices and parts into the backpack, along with the canteen, knife, and compass. Jack picked up the backup and swept Daniel into his arms, carrying him down the stairs.

"Oi! Put me down!" Daniel cried, blushing again.

"No way. This is far too much fun," Jack answered with a grin.

Daniel scowled until they reached the bottom of the staircase and was set down on the ground. The tunnel was dimly lit with small fluorescent lights along the floor.

"Which way?" Jack asked quietly. He was starting to wish the Doctor had let him travel armed.

Daniel nodded to the left and reluctantly leaned on Jack as they traveled down the hallway. "Look at how dry the walls are … that can't be natural. The further underground we go, the wetter it should get."

Jack traced his fingers tips over the reddish stone. "You're right. It's dry as a bone. And it feels like there's definitely an artificial environmental system going through here."

"That would account for the dry walls," Daniel agreed.

Jack stopped dead in the hallway. "Dan, if someone is manipulating the energy of the Rift, they could be dangerous. You're already injured –"

"You're not going alone, Captain. This is my responsibility."

"I could take you back to town, and we can come back later."

"They'll notice that we found the cave entrance! We're assuming that they don't have surveillance of some kind! I appreciate your concern, Jack, but we have to see this through – sprained ankle or no."

Jack sighed heavily. "All right. But we're out of here at the first sign of trouble."

Daniel grinned back at him. "C'mon, Captain, what fun would that be?"

* * *

They walked down the dimly lit hallway slowing, Jack still helping Daniel along. The hallway ended with a door with no handles.

"Now what?" Jack asked as they shuffled closer.

As they approached, the door slid upwards, just like the door in the cave.

"Huh. Motion sensors. Guess whoever's down here isn't overly concerned about security," Daniel remarked.

"They're not expecting to be discovered."

They shuffled into the darkened room together. Fluorescent lights flickered to life, illuminating a large room, filled with electronic equipment. Daniel flew out of Jack's arms and started hopping around the room, inspecting the different consoles and computers.

"Be careful!" Jack cautioned. "Don't touch anything!"

"I'm not. This is amazing!" He hopped from console to console.

Jack decided to leave him to it and took a look around. The equipment seemed comparable to some of the Torchwood equipment, if a little more advanced. But as he looked more closely, he could see that there was ragtag feel to it, as if it had all been made from scrap and cobbled together, rather than in a pristine factory.

There was a normal door on the opposite side of the room, but it was locked with a combination keypad. On one side of the room was a glass window; the room on the other side was completely dark. Jack looked around for a light switch but couldn't find one. He turned back to Daniel.

"So, what's the story, professor? What are these machines doing?"

"This is bad, Jack. Whoever these people are, they're sucking energy out of the Rift. There haven't been any time distortions yet; my readings would have picked them up earlier."

_Distortions_, Jack repeated to himself. _So, he not only knows what the Rift is but one of the things that can happen when it goes wrong. How the hell does he know?_

"Time distortions? That sounds pretty exotic for a school project. Why are you really here, Daniel?"

"Depends on the school, now doesn't it?"

"Dan …" Jack started.

"Not now, Jack. What's happening here is far more important than _why_ either of us is here."

Jack nodded. "Okay, so what are they using the energy for?"

"That's just it. Other than powering the equipment, they seem to just be storing it."

"For what?"

Daniel looked up at Jack, his expression worried. "I don't know."

"Can you find a way to turn on the lights in the other room? Maybe that will give us an answer."

As he was searching, Jack glanced over the different consoles and computers, confirming what Daniel had just told him.

Daniel flicked a switch, and the lights in the adjacent room slowly came up.

Jack's jaw hung open. The room was enormous, seeming to stretch on for half a mile. There were rows and rows of shelves holding large batteries and generators, jet black and steel. Unlike the control room equipment, they had clearly been made in a factory.

"What?! Why would anyone do this with energy from the Rift?! It's completely unstable; it can't be used a reliable power source!" Daniel cried in disbelief.

"They don't know that," Jack filled in. "They're going to sell it. They got it to power this station, though God only knows how long that will last. And now they think they can sell it as a cheap, clean, reliable energy source."

Daniel started to dive for the controls. "We've got to shut it down; we can't let them do this."

Jack grabbed him and pulled him back from the console. "No! Listen. Number one, we don't know what's going to happen if all that energy just dissipates; it could destroy this plant or the whole colony. Two, reversing the flow of the energy back into the Rift could be equally dangerous; we don't know what might come out of there. Three, we don't know who's doing this! If we don't find out, they'll just try again here or somewhere else. We need to figure this out, and we'll need whoever is behind this to help us undo it safely. Now, is there any indication on the computers on who's behind this?" He released Daniel; the blond hopped back over to one of the computers.

"It looks like all the identifying information has been encrypted. Shipping addresses, billing information … I'd need time to crack it. Hand me the pack." Jack walked over and set it down next to him.

Daniel dug around for a minute and pulled out a small device and connected it to the terminal. "I'm copying the information. We can take it back to the city, analyze it, and start asking questions." He paused as the machine worked. "You really think it's a good idea to just leave this place running?"

"I know it's a bit of time bomb – no pun intended – but we need more information before we can undo this. And the people responsible need to be educated."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you've done this a few times before."

"You could say that."

"I wouldn't have stopped to think about the consequences if you hadn't made me," Daniel said as he unplugged the storage device and slipped it back into the backpack.

Jack rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. I would've done the exact same thing in my youth. C'mon, we need to get you back to the city and take care of the ankle."

Daniel nodded, wincing as he hobbled forward to lean on Jack.

"We've got everything we need to nail these guys. We just need to put it all together. You know, this is going to make one hell of a final project. If they don't give you an A plus, I will have to talk to your school – where that is – personally."

Daniel laughed. "I'd love to see that."

"Well, I doubt you will, since you're gonna ace this project."

"You deserve at least half the credit."

"Yeah, probably. But no need to tell them that."

"What? I shouldn't mention how a mysterious man with knowledge about the Rift seduced me, helped me with my research, saved my life multiple times—"

"Nah, let's keep that out of the papers."

"Whatever you say, Captain."

* * *

By the time they got back to the cave, it was the middle of the night. Daniel carefully closed the secret door behind them.

"We should stay here until the sun's up," Jack stated. "It'll be easier to get out of the canyon then."

Daniel nodded, letting Jack help him over to where they had built the fire earlier. Jack started a new one with the wood he'd gathered while searching for the scanner.

"Hopefully, whoever runs this place doesn't come back tonight," Daniel commented.

"Didn't I mention?" Jack asked with a roguish smile. "I'm also a body guard. Nothin' to worry about."

Daniel laughed. "You're a man of many talents, Jack."

"So are you. Actually, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Once we get this whole mess with the Rift sorted out … do you think there's any way to use the Rift to send a message?"

Daniel raised his pale eyebrows. "Exactly where do you need this message to go?"

"That's just it. I don't know. I thought maybe if I tried to send it as far and wide as possible, it would have a better of chance of being heard."

Daniel folded his arms thoughtfully. "I don't know, Jack. It's risky. Depending on what form the message was in, it could disrupt –"

"The timeline?"

"Exactly." Daniel opened his mouth and shut it again, clearly wanting to know how much Jack knew.

"Well, if there's a way to do it while minimizing the risk, I have to try."

Daniel nodded. "Let me think about it. I'll come up with something." There was a long pause. "This friend of yours –"

This time, Jack interrupted him with a kiss.

Daniel looked unhappy when Jack pulled away.

"Hey," Jack said softly. "This is not about not trusting you, okay? This is about trying to be responsible. I trust you, Dan. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even mentioned the message."

"I just feel like you always have me at a disadvantage, Jack."

Jack had to smile. "And you don't feel like that very often, do you?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, don't feel too bad. There's a lot more I'd like to know about you. But I'm not asking. You'll tell me if and when you're ready."

Daniel looked away, out of the cave and to the stars over the canyon. "I guess we're on a need to know basis. It's just kind of odd having that with the … with someone …"

"With your lover?"

Daniel blushed a charming pink and nodded.

"Well, Dan, that's something we'll just have accept about each other for now. Unless you –"

This time is was Daniel who silenced Jack with a hard kiss. "No. I don't want to stop. I want you to take me in this cave one more time, Captain."

Jack raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Right now?"

"Right now," he said, pulling Jack back down to the cave floor. "And this time, perhaps … I could give the orders?"

* * *

"C'mon, just a little further," Jack grunted, bracing himself against the hill and pulling Daniel after him.

The sun was unmercifully hot as they made their way up and out of the canyon.

At last, Jack grabbed hold of the railing and pulled they both up until they both collapsed unceremoniously on the cement.

"Are you all right?" Daniel asked as Jack panted beside him. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

"I'll be fine," Jack said with his trademark grin. "Just need a breather. Then we can get back to town."

Daniel nodded, sitting up slowly and making sure there were no tourists around. He removed the backpack and dug out the canteen, handing it to Jack.

Jack sat up, removed the lid and drank thirstily. "Mmmm … rainwater. Guess that storm was good for something."

Daniel returned the smile. "If it weren't for the rain, we wouldn't have found the cave."

Jack placed a hand on Daniel's thigh. "That cave was good for a lot of other things, too."

Daniel playfully swatted his hand off. "C'mon, now that you've helped me up the hill, you need to help me down it back to the Jeep."

Jack nodded, capped the canteen, and stowed it in the backpack. "I've got half a mind to drive the Jeep up here to get you."

Daniel laughed. "Now, now. Let's not ruin the planet's first tourist spot."

"Yeah, yeah." He helped Daniel back to his feet. "C'mon, trouble. Let's go."

* * *

As they drove back into the city, they could see the minor damage the earthquake had done. Metal scaffolding for a new hotel had collapsed onto the market next to it. Construction debris had been moved to the sides of the road.

"Doesn't look like they were hit too badly," Jack commented as he drove the Jeep back to the rental shop.

The owner ranted at them for being late, but Jack managed to sweet talk him out of most of the late fees.

"Do you think we should have just extended the rental?" Daniel asked as Jack helped him back to the tavern. "We will need to go back there at some point."

Jack shook his head. "I'd rather we try to blend in as tourists and/or tradesmen. Other than the canyon, there aren't many places to go that you need a vehicle."

"Good thinking," Daniel replied as they entered the tavern.

"Good Lord, what happened to you two?" Mrs. Miller asked, bustling up to them. The bar was empty at this hour.

"We were at Leighton Canyon when the earthquake hit, ma'am," Jack answered earnestly. "We had to find shelter and wait out the storm there. Dan's been injured, and it'd be a great help if you could call a medic for us."

"Of course," she said. "I was worried when you didn't show up to play. I-I mean, the customers asked where you were and—" She tried valiantly to salvage her professional attitude.

"Don't worry, ma'am," Jack said with a wink. "I'll make it up to you one way or another."

"We appreciate your concern, Mrs. Miller," Daniel interjected. She nodded and disappeared into her office.

Jack helped Daniel hobble back to their room and settled him on the bed.

"We do make a pretty sorry sight," Jack commented, looking at their dirty clothes.

"Well, one good thing about the earthquake is that it's a great cover story for us," Daniel remarked.

"It doesn't look like Mrs. Miller suffered any property damage. That's another good thing. So, did your school give you an allowance or research grant to fund the trip?"

"Yes, something like that."

There was a knock on the door. "Someone call for a medic?"

* * *

Jack carried a tray of food back to his room later that night, somehow managing to unlock the door and not drop anything.

He found Daniel still on the bed, going over calculations and readings from the canyon. His foot had been examined and bandaged and was propped up on a pillow at the end of the bed.

"Thought you could use some food," Jack announced, setting down the tray on the small bedside table and pulling it closer to the bed.

"Hm? Oh, yes. Thank you," Daniel said, not looking up from his work.

"You're not really listening, are you?"

"Mm hm."

"So, you'd agree to do a strip tease to my next number on the piano?"

"Mmm hm. Wait, what?"

Jack burst out laughing.

Daniel put down his work and hurled a pillow at Jack.

Jack dodged it easily. "Hey now, be nice. I was just bringing you some food. Besides, you need a break."

"I suppose you're right. How's it going out there?"

"Pretty well. People are still a little unnerved after the earthquake, so I'm keeping things mellow. Tips are good. How are things going here?" He pulled up a chair across from the bedside table.

"Not bad, despite being stuck in bed," Daniel replied, digging into his dinner. "I'm just trying to compile all of the readings we took of the canyon. Once that's finished, I'll start in on the encrypted data."

"Guess you could call this our base of operations then," Jack said, tucking into his meal. "It's not much, but it'll do."

"Oh? Where do you normally work?"

"I've worked a lot of different places. There was one in particular, though. We had this great … I can't even call it an office. I don't know how to describe it, really. But I was working with this great team. We had some good times … and some pretty bad ones, too."

"That's usually the way of things. Why'd you leave?"

"I … decided to travel with my friend."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "He must be quite special for you to leave your team."

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "He doesn't ask many people to come with him. It's an opportunity that's hard to turn down."

"My curiosity is positively peaked, but I won't ask more about him. You're protecting him for a reason, and I respect that."

"Thanks."

"So, since I'm going to non-ambulatory for a bit, you're going to have to do a lot of the legwork on this project. I've already started looking into the companies with large amounts of money invested in this colony. We need to find out who's stealing energy from the Rift. When I start getting names, I'll need you to go out and start asking questions."

Jack nodded. "I can do that."

"Just be careful, all right?"

"C'mon, when is that any fun? Besides, when we explain how unstable the energy from the Rift is, hopefully they'll be sensible enough to see the danger and stop."

Daniel nodded. "You're probably right."

Jack checked his watch. "I'm back on in ten. Any requests you want me to play extra loud so you can hear them in here?"

Daniel smiled. "That's rather sweet, Captain, but I shall decline. Keep things mellow out there; people are more likely to talk when they're relaxed."

"Good point. Any names you want me to try and drop tonight?"

"No. I haven't made it to that data yet."

"Need me to get you anything else before I go?"

Daniel shook his head. "You do too much already, Jack."

Jack stood up and picked up the tray with one hand, ruffling Daniel's blond hair with the other. "Aw, don't worry about it, Danny boy."

Daniel swatted his hand away. "Ugh, please, don't call me that. I'm not a—"

Jack leaned down and kissed him on the mouth, effectively silencing him.

"Don't wait up!" Jack said over his shoulder.

Daniel found a smile spreading across his face as the door closed after his roommate. It was a few minutes before he could gather his concentration and get back to work.

* * *

When Jack returned after his second shift at the piano, he found Daniel asleep in the middle of the bed; equipment and notes were scattered around him.

Jack smiled to himself and carefully put everything away. He resisted the temptation to look through Daniel's personal things and tucked the exhausted blond beneath the covers and crawled in after him.

He decided he could probably use at least a little rest, and he couldn't continue the work until Daniel woke anyway.

He laid awake, thinking about the different people he'd worked with over the years. He did miss his team and the Doctor, but he was falling into an easy rhythm with Daniel. They worked well together, and it certainly didn't hurt that they had great chemistry.

Jack still felt sad, though, when he wondered how long he would be stuck on this planet and whether he'd see the Doctor again. What would he do once Daniel finished his project and went back to school? He'd be alone again.

_No_, he decided. _I can't just sit here waiting. I have to hope Dan can help me get a message out to the Doctor. If that doesn't work, then … I guess I'll go back to Cardiff. Start over. _

He looked over at the window next to the bed, staring at the three moons.

"Where are you?" he murmured softly.

Deciding that he'd had enough of his own angst, he got back out of bed and started sorting out his tips.

* * *

Jack managed to hit some of the shops just as the sun was rising. He made his way back to the tavern and into the room just as Daniel was getting dressed.

"Was starting to wonder where you were, Captain," Daniel said with a smile as he pulled a shirt over his head. "Out all night?"

Jack grinned, depositing a brown paper bag on the bed. "I'm not cheating on you, if that's what you mean. I was just running some errands. Needed to get some new clothes, for one thing."

Daniel gave him a searching look. "You really got here with just the clothes on your back, didn't you?"

"Or maybe I'm just trying to impress you," Jack said, shrugging out of his suspenders. "How's the ankle?"

Daniel hopped over to a drawer, pulling out a pair of pants. "Much better. Should be up and about in no time."

"You really hate sitting still, don't you?"

"More than most."

When they were both dressed, Jack handed Daniel some cash. "What's this for?"

"The rent. Even if your school is paying for all this, I don't want to be a leech."

"Jack, you don't have to—"

"Please, Dan. I insist."

Daniel nodded and took the bills from him.

"So, want me to sweep you up and carry you dramatically to breakfast or bring you something back?"

Daniel playfully glared at him. "I hardly require carrying, Captain. In fact, I believe I can get there under my own power." He started to limp towards the door.

Jack stepped in front of him. "Sorry, Dan. Research assistant's code. Can't risk you getting hurt again." He leaned forward and kissed the blond hard, nearly sending him toppling backwards. Jack kept him upright, wrapping one strong arm around his waist and pulling him closer.

Daniel broke off the kiss, nearly out of breath. "Somehow, I don't these clothes are going to stay on long."

"And we're going to be very late for breakfast."


	4. Chapter 4

When they eventually finished breakfast, Daniel sent Jack out to get some of his supplies out of a storage unit at the base.

"I wasn't sure what I'd need," Daniel had explained, blushing slightly. "So, I kind of brought everything. Anyway, I'll be needing some of my electronic equipment."

Jack had been only too happy to help. When he saw the size of "luggage," however, his good mood wavered.

"There is no way this is going to fit in our room," Jack announced as the large case was brought to him. It was at least six feet tall and wide. Jack had to rent a hovercart just to get it to the tavern.

When he arrived around the back of the tavern, Daniel greeted him enthusiastically. "This is perfect! Thank you, Jack!"

"You need to join Overpackers Anonymous," Jack said, hopping off the hovercart. "There is no way this is going to fit into our room."

"Oh! Right!" Daniel walked up to the case, flipped open a panel, and pressed a few buttons. The case dismantled into several, smaller suitcases.

Jack's jaw dropped. He hadn't even noticed any seams. "Why didn't you tell me it could do that?!"

Daniel turned to face him. "Sorry, it didn't even occur to me. C'mon, help me get these inside."

Even with the smaller suitcases, Jack could see that the chore was going to take them – well, more likely just him, since Daniel could only hop – quite a few trips to get everything inside. He followed Daniel with a heavy case in each hand.

He looked on in confusion as Daniel hopped down the hallway. "Dan, where are you going? I'm not that turned around; our room's the other way."

"Not anymore!" Daniel called cheerily, disappearing into a different doorway.

Jack rolled his eyes and followed the blond into the new room. As he stepped through the doorway, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, with your contribution to the rent, I had us upgraded to a suite, so we'd be more comfortable," Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Also makes a better base of operations, don't you think?"

Jack set down the cases slowly. "Yeah, I think you're right." The suite had a little living room with a couch, desk, table, and chairs. Behind that, he could see a little kitchen and a hallway leading to the bathroom and bedroom.

"Is it … all right?" Daniel asked uncertainly.

Jack grinned, walked over to him, and kissed him thoroughly. "It's perfect. Besides, I was starting to worry about how we'd fit all your equipment in the old room. Speaking of which, I'd better go collect the rest of it, before someone tries to drive off with the cart."

"Here," Daniel said, handing Jack a few bills. "For the hovercart rental."

"Thanks," Jack replied, heading back out the door. "Is that for the cart or my tip for carrying your bags?"

"If you want a tip, you'll have to come check out the bedroom," Daniel said mischievously.

"You know, you're not gonna get any work done that way," Jack warned, heading back out the door.

"Depends on your definition of work, Jack."

"You spent waaay too much time in the library, didn't you?"

"Something like that."

"Well, good thing I'm here to fix that. Back in a flash." Jack smiled to himself as he went back to the hovercart for more luggage. He had to admit, he had kind of a soft spot when it came to geeks.

* * *

If Jack had been concerned that his living arrangement with Daniel was going to become "domestic," his worries had dissipated by the time Daniel had unpacked. The living room was littered with laptops, wires, and other electronic detritus. At this point, he really was just an assistant, unpacking and handing Daniel whatever bit or bob he needed. The kid was definitely a genius, no question about it.

Their work went well into the night. Jack was so engrossed in trying to help Daniel decode the data they had found that Mrs. Miller had to come collect him personally for his shift on the piano.

He kissed the top of Daniel's head and stood up. "I'll be back later, genius. I'll bring you back some food."

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I … Have fun out there."

Jack grinned and noted how Mrs. Miller's breath caught. "I will."

"Dan, it's way past your bed time," Jack announced with an exaggerated yawn. It was two hours after he'd returned from his second shift. "You need some rest."

"I'm fine," Daniel said, watching numbers and symbols fly by in front of him. "I'm getting closer."

"Seriously, sleep. You'll work better after a rest."

"I'm not a child, Jack, but I appreciate your concern."

Jack sat down behind him on the floor; there was too much equipment to fit on a desk or even a table. He wrapped his arms around the blond's waist and nuzzled his neck. "Come to bed, Dan Gallagher."

Daniel wavered a little. "Jack, if anything happens to the Rift, it's my responsibility."

"Our responsibility," Jack corrected. "Look, they've been 'mining' that Rift for some time. I don't think anything's going to go wrong until they actually try to export or use the energy for something else. We can't know for sure, but working yourself to death isn't going to help either."

"I need a lot less sleep than you think."

"Well, good, 'cause I don't plan on letting you sleep for a while yet," Jack said, pulling Daniel to the floor with him and kissing him soundly.

Daniel fought him a little at first, and Jack pressed his wrists down to the wooden floor on either side of his head. Jack could feel the younger man squirming beneath him; he could tell when someone was enjoying force play and when they weren't. Daniel was definitely the former.

Even as his body relaxed, he fought harder against Jack, clearly wanting more. Jack shifted so his body weight was holding Daniel to the floor. From experience, Jack knew by his breathing and the way Daniel was moving against him he was loving every second, feeling like Jack was in control. It was role Jack easily slipped into.

Jack finally broke off the kiss, staring into Daniel's darkened hazel eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to get free, obviously."

"Sorry, right now, you're stuck here with me."

"So, what are you planning to do with me?"

Jack smirked and could feel Daniel's pulse speed up in his hands. "Whatever I want, obviously."

Daniel shivered at the words, fighting a little harder.

Jack chuckled darkly. "Fight all you want, Daniel. I can tell how much you want this." He could feel the blond's rock hard erection underneath him. _Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this_, he thought, leaning down and kissing a wet trail down Daniel's neck.

Daniel gasped and stopped struggling for a moment. Then he pushed up against Jack again. Jack growled, shifting his grip and pinning both Daniel's wrists with one hand over the blond's head. With his now free hand, he lifted up Daniel's shirt and ran his fingertips over his chest and stomach. He tweaked one of Daniel's erect nipples and then leaned down and mouthed the other.

Daniel groaned, desperately trying to loosen Jack's hold, so he could touch him in return. It was impossible; Jack was too strong.

"The more you struggle," Jack murmured moving to his other nipple, "the longer it'll be before I decide to let you go."

Jack watched the inner turmoil play across Daniel's face; he was enjoying being helpless, but he wanted to be able to touch Jack. He tried to twist one wrist free again without any success. He gave up and lay quietly as Jack continued kissing, teasing, and touching him.

Daniel was practically twitching by the time Jack decided he'd had enough foreplay.

"Now, are you gonna behave, or am I gonna make you?" Jack asked, looking down at his captive.

Daniel smirked. "Love to see you try, Captain."

Jack grinned, quickly getting to his knees and pulling Daniel by his wrists onto his shoulder. He stood up, carrying the blond in a fireman's hold.

"Oi! This isn't fair!" Daniel cried, flailing helplessly as Jack carried him to the bedroom. He was dropped unceremoniously on the bed and hardly had a second to spare before Jack was on top of him again, pulling at his clothes.

Daniel drew Jack into a deep kiss, running his hands under Jack's shirt. Jack obligingly sat up and pulled his shirt over his head before leaning back down with a cocky grin on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Daniel asked, dodging his kiss.

"Just wishing I had some rope, that's all." He bit back a laugh as he felt Daniel's cock twitch against his thigh. "Hm, I think somebody likes that idea. We'll have to try that later. For now though –"

Daniel surprised him by rolling them over so he was on top. "For now, we're going to fuck each other senseless the old fashioned way, right, Captain?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Jack agreed, pulling him down into another heated kiss. It was short-lived however as Daniel sat up and made quick work of both their belts and flies. They rolled off each other just long enough to pull off their pants and boxers.

Jack eyed Daniel's long-sleeved button-down shirt as the blond shrugged it off. Inspired, Jack grabbed it before Daniel could drop it to the floor.

"Jack?"

"We may not have rope, but this'll do in a pinch," Jack answered, his eyes glittering in the dim light. He shoved Dan back onto the bed face down and roughly pulled his arms behind him, twisting and tying the shirt sleeves around his wrists.

Daniel writhed underneath him, grinding subconsciously into the mattress.

Jack took a moment to lean down next to the blond's ear, nibbling on the lobe lightly. "Let me know if you get uncomfortable."

Daniel nodded as Jack guided him to kneel and grabbed the lube. He squirmed deliciously in his makeshift bonds as Jack prepared himself.

Jack reached around to Daniel's cock and pumped it slowly with his slick hand.

Daniel groaned into one of the pillows.

Jack's hand moved from Daniel's cock to his perineum before teasing his entrance lightly and applying more lube. He grinned to himself as he grabbed Daniel's bound wrists with one hand and worked two fingers inside Daniel with the other.

Daniel cried out incoherently, writhing on the bed.

Jack chuckled. "I've never seen you so hot and bothered so quickly. If I'd only known what buttons to push sooner …"

"It's … news to me too," Daniel admitted, gasping for breath. "Would've told if I'd known. Speaking of quick … please … Jack …"

"I'm on it," Jack soothed him. He removed his fingers, positioned himself carefully, and pushed his cock into Daniel.

Daniel almost didn't register Jack's hand moving from his wrists down to his throbbing erection. As he had the first time they'd had sex, Jack pumped his hand on Daniel's cock in time with his thrusting.

The blond came quickly, spilling his seed all over the duvet as he yelled Jack's name.

Jack wasn't far behind him, driving into him hard until he released. Jack slowly pulled out as he untied Daniel's wrists. The blond would have flopped onto the puddle on the bed if Jack hadn't stopped him.

He drew Daniel's limp form to one side of the bed as he folded the duvet back and laid him back down. "Can't have you making more of a mess than you already did, professor."

By the time he'd taken the duvet off the bed and gotten in beside Daniel, the blond was nearly asleep. He mumbled something completely incoherent as he cuddled next to Jack.

Jack just laughed softly and kissed the top of his head. "Go to sleep, Dan. You can tell me all about it in the morning."

* * *

Jack had gotten up early again and was cooking eggs in the kitchenette when Daniel limped out of bedroom blearily.

"Morning," Jack said with a grin. Daniel was shirtless at the moment, and he was enjoying the sight.

"Do you sleep at all?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe," Jack answered with a smirk. "Hungry?"

Daniel came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "After last night? Absolutely."

"I meant for breakfast, not for me," Jack teased.

Daniel nibbled his shoulder playfully. "But you're tasty!"

"Mm, so are you," Jack replied, trying not to lose concentration on what he was doing.

"Last night … I –"

"Don't even try to tell me you're embarrassed."

"No, I'm not. I just wanted to thank you."

Jack smiled softly, turning to kiss Daniel's cheek. "Don't mention it. It was actually pretty exciting to see you experience something new."

"I'm getting the impression there's nothing you haven't tried, Captain."

Jack shrugged. "Maybe not. But if we thought about it, I'm sure we'd come up with something."

Daniel chuckled and nuzzled Jack's neck again, flicking the tip of tongue against the bare skin.

Jack cleared his throat."If you keep that up, you're not getting any breakfast."

Daniel kissed the back of Jack's neck and let go. "Didn't think you did domestic, Captain."

"I'm full of surprises," Jack answered, serving scrambled eggs onto two plates already laid out with toast. He turned off the stove, grabbed some silverware and set the food down on the tiny table. Then he wandered through the mess of computers and equipment and dragged Daniel up by the arm. "C'mon, you can play with your toys later. It's time to eat."

Daniel grinned and childishly whined. "But Jaaaaack …"

Jack sat down in one of the chairs and pulled Daniel over his lap. "Does somebody need to be taught a lesson?" He held his hand out, as if he were going to spank the blond.

Daniel shook his head, even though Jack could tell he fancied the idea.

"You gonna be a good boy then?"

Daniel nodded. He was clearly getting aroused but didn't want to get any more distracted from his work.

Jack released him, setting him on his feet. Daniel sat down in the other chair.

"Jack, you're – you're –" Jack silenced him by sticking a forkful of scrambled eggs in his mouth. "A good cook," Daniel finished, eagerly tucking into his own plate.

"And you're so freaking adorable, I can hardly stand it. I hope you have some more jobs for me today, 'cause otherwise, you're not gonna get any more work done."

"I knew I should've put a shirt on this morning," Daniel commented. "But yes, I have more jobs for you. I did some more research on the colony and found something interesting. The first surveying teams that came here actually studied Leighton Canyon pretty thoroughly. When they decided there was nothing of value to mine, they marked it down to be turned into a park, the planet's first tourist attraction.

"What's fascinating, though, is that the company that sent the survey team suddenly dropped off the grid shortly after the tourist amenities for Leighton Canyon were completed. They surveyed maybe two more planets and then just … stopped."

"Maybe they went out of business?"

"Seems an awful coincidence, don't you think?"

"Absolutely. So, what's the name of the survey company?"

"The Sparhendey Group. The thing is, since they dropped off the grid, I don't know where to find them. You'll need to talk to the people they worked with on Azamarya and see if you can get names and information on the employees, especially the ones who surveyed the canyon. I think they found the Rift in the canyon and had it declared a tourist attraction to keep everyone out. Now they're mining the energy for themselves."

"That would seem to fit with what we saw; the equipment all looked like it had been cobbled together. That would make sense if they switched from surveying to mining."

"Hm, we might want to ask some of the construction companies. Maybe they lost some employees around the same time the mining operation started. Sparhendey might have needed more workers." Daniel shook his head. "Anyway, it's all a bit dodgy, since I haven't decrypted those files yet. Looking at the business records, it's the only thing that makes sense so far."

Jack grinned. "So, you finished your homework."

Daniel stuck out his tongue.

"Don't be like that. That means you might just get a reward."

Daniel face turned serious. "Jack, I want you to be careful out there. We're betting on the fact that these people are going to be reasonable once we explain the danger. But now that we know an entire company – albeit a small one – has put a lot of time and money into this. They may not be quite as reasonable."

"Don't worry, Dan, I can take care of myself. I appreciate the concern, though." He stood up and began clearing the table.

"We should wait," Daniel stated. "We should wait until I'm better, and I can come with you."

"Dan, I can handle it," Jack said, kissing the top of his head. "Trust me."

* * *

And so, the two of them fell into a routine over the next fortnight. During the day, Daniel worked on decrypting the data while Jack went out and began asking questions about the missing surveying company. Between the two of them, they uncovered names and followed a paper trail that wound around the planet's government and founding companies, but didn't directly involve them. At night, Jack would drag Daniel out of their room for human contact while he played the piano, sometimes going out after Jack's second shift. They made no secret of their relationship, though they were clearly some colonists of both sexes who were jealous. Daniel's ankle healed perfectly, and he would occasionally even let Jack drag him up for a dance or two at one of the other bars.

Life was starting to seem almost too perfect. And then there was another earthquake. This one caused much more damage, including minor damage to the tavern. Jack had been out investigating when it happened and ran back to the tavern to check on Daniel. He was relieved to see Daniel standing outside the building, consulting some readings, as usual.

"Did you even notice the earthquake?" Jack asked, pulling him into a hug.

"Of course I did!" Daniel answered, returning the hug briefly.

"We need to wrap this up, Dan. I know we're close."

"Correction! We've found them. I got a message today from some people that were on the committee that founded the planet. At least one of them was involved with Sparhendey. They want us to meet them in …" He checked his watch. "Twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?!"

"They sent it before the earthquake, but I think you should still try to be on time."

Jack rolled his eyes. "All right – wait. Didn't they say they wanted to see both of us?"

"The tavern's been temporarily evacuated. I need to get back in there as soon as they allow it; my equipment is sensitive. I can't have anyone else messing with it."

Jack nodded. "Got it. And don't you go in there until they say so."

Daniel caught Jack's arm as he turned to leave. "Jack, be careful."

Jack grinned and kissed him. "Remember what I said to you in the cave?"

Daniel smiled mischievously. "You said a lot of things in that cave, Jack, some which can't be qualified as English."

Jack laughed at that. "Yeah, but when I went out to look for your scanner, I said, 'Don't worry. I'll be back. I promise.' Have I let you down yet?"

"Never."

"There you go then." Jack kissed him again. "I'll be back before dinner."

* * *

Daniel had just finished taking stock of his equipment, when one of his many laptops informed him that he had a message.

He sat down on the floor in front of the appropriate computer and pressed a key. A man's face appeared on the screen.

"Mr. Ives! It's good to see you again. Did you speak with Captain Harkness?"

"I did indeed, Mr. Gallagher. In fact, we spoke with the senior members of the Sparhendey Group. We were most surprised by the results of your joint research."

"I doubt don't it. And what have you decided to do about resolving the situation?"

"Perhaps, you should speak to Captain Harkness about that." He stepped to the side and revealed Jack sitting behind him. He was bound tightly to a chair, and a gag had been shoved in his mouth. His head was hanging limply, unconsciousness likely due to the nasty bruise on his temple.

"JACK!" Daniel cried, grabbing the laptop. "What've you done to him?!"

"Calm down, Mr. Gallagher," Ives said, stepping back in front of his prisoner. "He's relatively unharmed. I'm afraid we've decided to continue our operations, despite your warnings. You have no proof that the energy we've harnessed is dangerous. But now that you two know about it, we'll have to make sure you don't tell anyone else. We need a monopoly on this energy source to save our company, Mr. Gallagher."

"You don't know what you're talking about! You have no idea what that energy is capable of! The consequences could be catastrophic!" He stopped and took a deep breath, trying to rein in his emotions. "Let Jack go, or I will tell the authorities what you've done."

"I wouldn't do that, Gallagher. You're being watched by our people. If you try to tell anyone, we'll be forced to dispatch your Captain. If you wish no further harm to come to him, you'll go out into the street and surrender yourself to my men."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing; it seemed completely unreal. "Even if I do what you want, you're just going to kill us both."

"Far from it, Mr. Gallagher. As you two seem to know about this energy, you're going to help us in our operation."

There was a muffled sound from behind him.

"Jack! Jack, can you hear me?!" Daniel shouted.

Another man moved behind Ives, and there was a sickening thud followed by silence.

"Leave him alone!" Daniel cried, swallowing back tears. "We'll never agree to help you with this!"

"Oh no? Then perhaps your Captain has outlived his usefulness already."

"No! I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt him."

"Then we have a deal, Mr. Gallagher. Meet my men outside unarmed. No tricks." The video screen blipped off.

Daniel's mind was reeling; he was simultaneously astounded by the stupidity of Sparhendey and driven to complete panic thinking about what they might do to Jack. Stupid people could do very dangerous things, and Jack was already in a lot of trouble. He tried to fight the panic clouding his mind; he hadn't felt so scared in a long time. He looked around the room, trying to find something, anything that might help. He could try to contact his own people, but he was being watched. He cursed himself for not being able to think faster on his feet. After five minutes went by, he decided he had no choice but to surrender. If he waited any longer, they might decide to hurt Jack.

He sighed and left the room, locking it behind him. On the way out of tavern, chaos from the earthquake covered his exit. He nonchalantly tossed the room key behind the bar. It just might give Mrs. Miller a clue and would prevent the Sparhendey men from being able to access his equipment.

Two dark figures were awaiting him in the street, standing in front of a Jeep. Daniel couldn't help wondering if this was the same vehicle they'd kidnapped Jack with. His stomach churned violently; he was relying on Ives to keep his word about not hurting his friend.

"Gallagher. In the car, now," one of them said, opening the passenger door.

Daniel had to settle for glaring at the two men before climbing into the Jeep. There was yet another man in a dark coat inside pulled Daniel's arms behind his back and snapped handcuffs on his wrists. Daniel started to feel numb; he had gotten himself and Jack into a potentially lethal situation. He felt guilt crashing down on him like a wave. He hardly noticed as the man who had cuffed him went searching through his pockets and came up empty.

The other two men climbed into the front of the Jeep and started driving away from the town and towards the direction of the Canyon.

"Is he clean?" the driver asked.

"As a whistle. Smart boy. You cooperate, and we won't hurt your boyfriend."

Daniel furiously tried to kick his brain into gear; he had to try and reason with these men.

"Listen to me. The energy that you're taking from the Canyon, it's incredibly unstable. It can't be used reliably; it's not meant for that. Please, you could destroy half the planet! What do you think caused that earthquake today?!"

"You don't know that," the man beside him stated. "You've got no proof."

"This isn't the only energy source like this in the universe," Daniel continued. "I've seen what can happen when things go wrong!"

"Oh really? And where are these other energy sources?"

"If I tell you, you're just going to try and dig those up as well."

The man laughed. "Again, smart boy. But you're too young to have traveled so far. You're making it up, probably just jealous of our find."

"Leave it, Munroe. And shut it, Gallagher, or I will shut it for you," the driver growled.

Daniel felt despair overcoming him; he tried not to give into it, but he couldn't find it in him to fight. He felt more helpless than he had in his whole life. But he did decide one thing; no matter what happened, he would find a way to protect Jack. He owed him that much.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's notes: I am truly proud of this fic and could not have done it alone. If you have made it this far, please do leave a review of your thoughts at the end. There may be sequels! Thank you. _

* * *

Despite Daniel's demands, his captors declined to take him to Ives to discuss the situation. The men brought him into the Sparhendey complex and down into the basement. He tried to fight against them but to no avail.

"Relax, Gallagher," Munroe told him. "We're taking you to see your boyfriend."

"If you've hurt him—"

"You'll what? Talk at me some more?" He stopped in front a heavy door and unlocked it, pushing it open.

As the other two men shoved Daniel inside, he saw Jack sitting against a pillar in the middle of the room; his arms were cuffed behind him.

"Dan! What are you doing here?" He turned angrily to Munroe. "Let the kid go, and I'll do what you want."

"Sorry, Captain," Munroe answered as Daniel's captors shoved him over to the pole and re-cuffed him in the same manner as Jack. "That's not my call or yours. We'll be back for the two of you later."

Jack pulled against his cuffs. "Wait! Let him go!"

Daniel slowly sat down next to him as the door slammed shut. "Nice to see you, too, Jack."

Jack looked over at him. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"I've been in worse fights."

Daniel noticed the bruise on his temple looked a little better. "Jack … I am so sorry for getting you into this mess." He shoved back the tears he could feel rising in his throat. "This is all my fault."

Jack moved closer to Daniel, so he could grasp his hand on the other side of the pole. "Hey. This is not your fault. I volunteered, remember? And like I've said, I've been in worse situations than this. How'd they get to you?"

"They called me and showed me they had you. You were unconscious for most of it. They threatened to kill you if I didn't come." Daniel was looking anywhere except Jack's eyes. He was relieved to have him at his side again, even if they were in trouble.

"You shouldn't have come," Jack told him.

"What else was I supposed to do, Jack?!" Daniel exploded. "Let them kill you?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I couldn't!" Daniel shouted back, much louder than he meant to. "What would you have done in my place?"

Jack paused. "The same thing." He sighed and leaned his head against Daniel's. "I'm sorry; I don't blame you for any of this. We'll find a way out. But if you see any opportunity to run, go. Don't wait for me."

"Jack –"

"Dan, I'm serious."

"I won't leave you behind. Look, we can't just sit here arguing. We need a plan."

"They leave you any slack on those cuffs?"

Daniel twisted his wrists back and forth, trying to escape the metal bonds. "No luck. Are they watching us in here?"

"No, I didn't see any surveillance. So, we're safe if we decide to make out."

Despite the situation, Daniel chuckled at that. "You're unbelievable."

"Gotcha to smile, didn't I?"

"Yes, Captain, but that won't get us out of these cuffs."

"True. I guess as there's nothing within reach, we're going to have to come up with a couple plans for when they come get us. They're obviously not going to listen to reason."

"Did you tell them what the Rift was?"

"No, just explained that we knew what they were doing and how dangerous it is. Did you tell them?"

"No. I don't suppose knowing it's a rift in time and space would do any good at this point."

"Agreed," Jack said, sighing softly. "So … how do we stop them without blowing up this place? Were you able to decode any of their schematics on this place? Do you know how it works?"

Daniel nodded. "If I could get to the control room, I could stop them bringing any more energy in."

"Okay, that would be step one. Step two is getting rid of the energy they've already stored before they try to sell it."

"There's a master control for that as well. I should be able to release it; I'm just not sure what will happen if I do. If I release it all at once … well, I have no idea what that might cause."

"Can you do it slowly?"

"Possibly. But both parts of our plan involve me being in the control room."

"Sounds like we're gonna have to pretend to go along with their plans then. Think you can fake them out? Make it look like you're doing one thing when you're really doing another?"

Daniel bit his lip. "I'm not sure. I don't have the layout of the Control memorized."

"You can do it, Dan. If they get suspicious, I'll cause a distraction. You keep at it."

"What's the plan if we manage to complete parts one and two?"

"That's the fun part!"

"Oh?"

"Run like hell."

They both froze as they heard a key in the lock. Daniel grabbed onto Jack's hand again, and the older man squeezed his reassuringly.

The man came into the room and closed the door after himself; it was the one who sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep Daniel had been brought in.

"You've got no right to keep us here," Jack snarled, making Daniel jump. "You're in serious trouble once people find out what you're doing. Why don't you make things easy on yourself and let us go?"

The man was taken aback. "I … this wasn't the plan."

"You know, in the end, everyone will go down for this. Even the people that just went along with it. Dan and I were just trying to warn you people –"

"I know!" the man said finally. "That's why I came to talk to you."

Daniel instinctively took the "good cop" role. "What's your name?"

"Shane. I just need to know … are we really causing the earthquakes?"

"Yes, you are, Shane," Daniel answered. "And it will only get worse if this continues. More people will be hurt."

"We can help," Jack added. "Just let us go, and we can help stop this."

"I never meant for any of this to happen! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I'm a scientist, for god's sake!" He pushed the brim of his black baseball cap up, rubbing his eyes. "I'll help you. But first, how do you know so much about this thing?"

"That doesn't matter," Daniel said. "Just trust us. The energy is completely unstable."

"I thought it was, but they kept telling me not to worry and just concentrate on how to contain it and make it usable."

"Shane, can you get to the control room? We need to stop the process drawing energy from the Rift," Jack said.

Shane looked up at them both. "That's what it's called?"

"There's no time explain," Jack continued. "Let us go, and we'll help you put an end to all of this. No one will get hurt."

Shane nodded and knelt behind the pole, unlocking the cuffs. "I really am sorry about all this. I tried to get them to stop, but they refused to see reason."

Daniel and Jack stood up, rubbing their wrists.

"Yeah, we got that impression," Jack agreed. "New plan. Shane, you go to the control room and shut down the mining. Keep them busy. Dan and I will go into the storage room and start emptying the batteries. If we release the energy slowly, there hopefully won't be any side effects."

"They're gonna see you guys in there," Shane pointed out.

"We'll start at the back," Jack explained.

"What happens when they notice what we're doing?" Daniel asked.

"That's what we want. Hopefully, we get pretty far along before they notice. Once we lure some of them out of the control room, Shane, you need to destroy the controls for the mining."

Shane nodded, looking nervous.

"And what do we do about the guys coming towards us?" Daniel asked, trying not to look nervous.

"Here, this might help," Shane said, taking a gun from under his jacket.

Jack didn't hesitate before taking it and tucking it into his waistband. "You're doing the right thing, Shane."

"Jack, wait," Daniel said firmly. "No killing."

"I'm a good shot; I can just wound them," Jack said. He turned back to Shane. "How many are there?"

"There's four of them. They're all in the control room, trying to rush plans to get some of the batteries off the planet and start selling them. Wait, how do you know about how this place is set up?"

"We were here investigating," Daniel explained. "And I took the liberty of downloading and decrypting most of your files. Seems like you didn't spend much time here until recently."

"The earthquakes scared the guys. They wanted to get moving quickly, but they refused to consider the possibility that we might be causing them."

"How many of them do you think we can get to leave the control room, so you have the best chance of destroying that thing?" Jack asked.

"I think it'll most likely be half and half," Shane answered. "Look, I'll have to deal with the other two. We've got to get moving." He looked at Daniel. "If I point you in the right direction, can you find your way to the back of the storage room?"

Daniel nodded.

"Okay, then let's go. They'll be coming for you soon. Don't worry. I made sure to leave the same time Todd went out for a smoke. They won't be sure who let you out."

"Good thinking," Jack said. "Lead the way."

* * *

Jack checked his watch. "All right, let's give Shane one more minute. He should have the mining shut down by then."

Daniel nodded. They were standing outside the door to the large storage room.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

"Is this going to work?"

Jack grinned down at him. "What kind of attitude is that, Dan? We'll make it work. It's high time these guys were shut down."

"I get the feeling you do this a lot."

"Practice makes perfect." He leaned down and kissed Daniel. "Thanks for looking out for me, Dan. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."

"It's okay," Daniel answered, feeling irrationally mushy. "I just panicked. I didn't want them to hurt you."

Jack checked his watch again. "Time to go."

"Jack, wait." Daniel impulsively grabbed his arm and stopped him. "I need to ask you something. Once I'm finished with – school … I – I want you to travel with me. I don't want to be alone."

_Did I really just say that?_ Daniel thought, feeling ridiculously lightheaded. _Must be the adrenaline._

Jack looked surprised. "Dan, we're gonna get through this."

"I know. That's not why I'm asking; I've been thinking about it over a week now, and it makes sense. I want you to come with me."

Jack broke into a smile and kissed him again. "Yes. I will. Now we've got one more reason to finish this thing together."

Daniel nodded, his concentration finally coming back into his grasp. He took a few quiet deep breaths as Jack drew the gun from his belt and slowly opened the door. Once he made sure the way was clear, he stowed the gun and nodded at Daniel.

The blond followed Jack into the storage room, quickly running behind the first row of shelves. Daniel started pressing buttons on the keypad of the first battery he could reach. To his relief, the unit flickered off and the nearly invisible energy dissipated. He looked over to see Jack completing the same process; they'd gone over it on their way to the storage room.

"How do we know Shane's turned off the mining controls?" Daniel whispered as they worked down the line.

"Well, nobody's come to get us yet, so I'm taking that as a sign," Jack replied.

They got faster as they went along and moved on to the second row of batteries. Daniel wanted to keep talking, keep the edge off the seriousness of the situation, but he knew that they shouldn't speak unless necessary. He was looking forward to being able to answer Jack's questions, tell him everything, once this was all over. And he hoped Jack would reciprocate.

It was maddening not knowing what was happening in the control room. The Sparhendey men could just be toying with them, ready to leap out and shoot them at any moment. Daniel shook his head to stop that line of thinking. He wondered, not for the first time, what kind of life Captain Jack Harkness had led to be so calm in the face of danger.

They were onto their fifth row of batteries, when the control room glass window shattered and bullets started raining into the room.

"GET DOWN!" he heard Jack yell.

Daniel ducked down behind some of the engines. Sparks were flying as bullets pinged off the metal shelves. There were a few small explosions near the control room as they impacted the batteries. Daniel felt panic swallowing him whole; all of his future plans with Jack seemed to be evaporating in front of his eyes.

And then Jack's voice was very close. "C'mon, Dan, get up. Shane needs our help. We've got to keep turning these things off before they get down here to stop us. Use the batteries for cover and keep your head down." He felt Jack's warm hand around his, pulling him to his feet. "You can do this, Daniel." He was steered towards the nearest battery. The routine came back to him easily, punching in the appropriate key commands to empty the energy.

They finished the row they were on. Just as Daniel was wondering how they were going to get to the next row, Jack grabbed him, shielding him from the line of fire and dragged him forward to the new row. Daniel forced his brain back into the game, emptying the batteries as fast as he could.

It was suddenly quiet in the room as the gunfire stopped.

Jack froze and then drew his gun, moving to the end of the row.

"What now?" Daniel asked.

"I'll keep them busy. You get to the control room and find the master switch to empty the rest of these things."

"But we don't know what that will do, Jack! This room might explode!"

Jack looked back at him. "What choice do we have? Obviously, something happened to Shane. It's up to us! I'm counting on you, Daniel. You can do it. Don't worry about me."

"But Jack –"

He was cut off as they heard doors opening in the storage room. Daniel stood in the middle of the row, his back to the batteries, breathing fast.

Jack motioned for him to move towards him. "I'm gonna clear the way for you." Hearing the crunching of glass, he leaned out and fired down towards the control room. A series of pained cries indicated he'd hit his mark. Daniel moved to the edge of the row, but Jack stopped him, nodding towards the back of the room. He waited, staring at Jack's face, for his orders.

Jack darted out from behind the shelf and started firing. "RUN!"

Daniel sprinted towards the control room, panic blurring the edges of his vision. He heard gunshots and shouts and fervently hoped Jack was on the winning end. He reached the man Jack had shot in front of the door to the control room.

"You little fuck …" the man growled, clutching his bleeding leg.

Daniel took no notice, jumping over him and picking up his gun before flying out the door and running up the stairs.

It occurred to him that he'd never fired a gun before; he had grabbed it out of instinct, realizing that the control room may not be empty. As far as he knew, Jack was only contending with two men in the storage room. Daniel stopped in front of the door to the control room, taking a few deep breaths. He held onto the gun tightly and quietly opened the door, aiming the gun into the room.

His entrance went unnoticed by Munroe, who was frantically punching at controls. Daniel held back a gasp as he noticed Shane sprawled across the mining controls, blood pooling on the floor; he wasn't breathing. Though his hands were shaking, Daniel kept the gun trained on Munroe.

He heard more shouting and noise coming from the storage room and worried for Jack.

"Step away from the console!" Daniel commanded, gathering all his courage.

Munroe froze and then turned around slowly. "Gallagher. I don't know how you managed to convince Shane to help you, but I hope you're happy he paid the price for it."

Daniel ignored the remark. "I said, step away."

"Or what? You'll shoot me?"

"That's the general idea, yes. Now move."

"As you wish," Munroe said with a sinister smile. He stepped back, allowing Daniel to step forward, keeping the gun trained on him.

Daniel stole a glance down at the controls; they were smashed. "No!"

"Now you can't get all the energy out unless you empty those batteries one by one."

Daniel held his aim steady. "Then that's what we'll do."

"Daniel … how's your boyfriend?"

Daniel looked out the window just in time to see Ives push over a shelf full of batteries. Jack fell with a cry as one of the heavy storage units landed on top of him.

"JACK!" Daniel screamed. He turned around, found that Munroe had snuck up behind him, and fired the gun.

It seemed louder than the first time, as his vision blurred with tears. Munroe gurgled, grabbing onto him as he slid to the floor. Daniel shook him off and ran back out of the control room and down the stairs. There was only one man left standing: Ives.

The storage room was half-destroyed, with units that had exploded or toppled over from the gunfire.

"Jack! Jack, can you hear me?" A bullet whizzed by his ear, impacting the wall behind him. Daniel ran down the aisle, cursing himself for giving away his position. He could hear pounding feet on the other side of the room.

"Dan!" Jack shouted weakly from a few rows away.

"Hang on, Jack!" Daniel yelled back. He pushed harder; looking to his right, he could see that Ives was pulling ahead of him. His worst fears were realized as Ives turned into the fallen row and fired. Jack cried out in pain.

"JACK!" Daniel ran behind the fallen row, saw the movement of Ives's coat, and fired at the nearest battery.

It exploded with a small burst of flame and white energy, throwing Ives into the next row, knocking it over. The row after that fell, knocking the rest down like dominoes.

"Jack! Talk to me!" Daniel cried, throwing his gun away and crawling under the fallen shelves. He crawled around two empty batteries and found Jack in the middle of the row, a battery on top of him and blood pouring from a new bullet wound in his thigh.

Jack looked up at him, struggling to focus. "Dan? Did we do it?"

Daniel impatiently jabbed at the tears on his face. "Well, not all of the batteries are empty, but, yes, we did it. I have to get you out of here." He wedged himself between the battery and the shelf, lifting up one side with all his might. Just when he thought he couldn't push anymore, the balance shifted, tipping the battery off of Jack and into the next row of shelves. The shelf tilted over their heads creaked dangerously.

"Dan," Jack gasped. "Get out! It's gonna fall!"

"Not without you," Daniel said. He tried to ignore the way Jack's other leg was twisted and blood was soaking through his shirt. He grabbed his companion under the arms and dragged him inch by inch to the end of the row. He just managed to get them both clear when the tilted shelf gave way with a final crash.

"Nice timing, kid" Jack said, coughing up blood.

"Jack!" Daniel leaned over him, hands wandering aimlessly, trying to do anything useful. "Jack, stay with me!" Even as he said it, he knew there was no way to stop the blood flowing onto the floor or the massive internal bleeding. "Oh God … please, don't leave me. Don't leave me alone." His tears were dripping onto Jack, and he didn't care. He drew Jack to him, cradling him.

"You're amazing," Jack whispered, lifting a bloodied hand to stroke Daniel's cheek. "Knew you could handle it."

"Shut it! You're coming with me, understand? You said you'd travel with me!"

Jack closed his eyes. "I will."

"Don't get metaphysical on me, Captain! You've got to hold on!" When Jack didn't respond, he shook him. "Jack! Please!"

Jack opened his eyes, convulsing in pain.

"I've got you," Daniel said, holding him as tightly as he dared. "Jack, please don't leave me! I – I love you!"

Jack quieted in his arms, looking up Daniel with a soft smile. "Hey … don't worry. I'll be back. I promise."

Daniel felt the world stop as Jack's eyes closed, and his body went slack in his arms.

He slowly realized the screaming in the room was coming from him, trying to will Jack back to life.

"JACK! Don't do this to me! You can't! WAKE UP!" He clutched Jack's body to him, sobbing violently into his jacket. He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt someone pulling him back. Daniel held on more tightly.

"Listen to me!" a new voice shouted. "I can help!"

Daniel looked up to see a man with brown hair and long brown coat kneeling next to him.

"Put him down," the man said gently. "I can help." He took a stethoscope out of his pocket. "I'm a doctor."

Daniel did as the man commanded, letting him listen for Jack's heart and breathing.

"Can you … can you do anything?" Daniel asked, barely daring to hope.

"I think so. But I need you to go back to town to get help."

"What? I can't leave him –"

"I told you; I'm a doctor. Now go! Quickly! Use the Jeep round the back!"

Daniel scrambled to his feet and ran for the door.

* * *

Jack gasped, breathing life back into his body. He looked around the storage room. "Dan?"

He sat up slowly and saw the Doctor pacing around the shelves, pressing buttons on different batteries.

"Doctor! What are you doing here?! Where's Dan?" Jack cried.

The Doctor turned to fiddle with a device he had attached to one of the shelves that was still standing. "I sent him back to town; he's safe. That's all that matters. TARDIS is that way," he said with a vague wave to his left. "I'll be there in a minute."

Jack stood up. "Nice to see you, too. But I can't just leave. What are you doing, anyway?"

The Doctor moved aside, pointing to the device. It was counting down from two minutes. "I've rigged this to destroy the batteries and dissipate the remaining energy from the Rift, but it's going to level the building. We have to go now."

"No. I'm not leaving. For all you know, Dan might turn back halfway and get caught in the blast. I won't leave him."

"Trust me, I know. He'll be fine."

"God, you are so arrogant sometimes! How could you possibly know?! You don't know anything about him!"

"I know more than you think, Jack."

Jack slowly shook his head. "No. You don't. You fly around in your little blue box, and you think you know everything and everyone. You don't. How long's it been for you? An hour? Two? It's been a month for me."

The Doctor scoffed, turning away. "It's been a lot longer than that for me. Anyway, you've had your fun. Let's go."

"You think this has just been fun?!"

The Time Lord rolled his eyes. "Of course not. You, stuck on a planet with cute young thing in need of assistance? That must have been awful." He gestured towards the TARDIS again. "So, come on, I'll take you away from all this. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes. No! I mean, I spent all this time trying to send a message to you –"

"Message received. Let's go."

"No. I'm not leaving. Things have changed. I can't just leave Dan like this."

The Doctor turned to him again angrily. "I told you, he'll be fine."

Jack took a step forward, bringing him nearly right in the Doctor's face. "And how could you possibly know that?! How do you know he won't turn back?!"

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T!"

Jack took a half-step back, completely baffled. "What? What've _you_ got to do with this? You didn't what?"

The Doctor looked down at the floor. "Thirty seconds, Jack. I'll be in the TARDIS. Do what you want." He turned and walked down the aisle, disappearing into the blue box.

Jack could not for the lives of him understand what the Doctor was talking about or why he was so angry. Deciding that he didn't want to be blown up, he followed the Doctor, closing the doors after himself.

* * *

Daniel, along with the others, had felt the explosion on their drive back to the Sparhendey complex. He firmly denied the possibility that it was too late.

The Jeep pulled to a stop in front of the smoldering remains.

Daniel felt Mrs. Miller's hand on his shoulder. "Oh my God. Daniel … I'm so sorry."

Daniel didn't notice the tears streaming down his face. "No. He survived getting hit by a double-sized hovertruck. He can survive anything! JACK!"

Hands tried to pull him back, but he wriggled out of their grasp and started scouring the wreckage, screaming Jack's name. Charred remnants of batteries and equipment were scattered everywhere.

Mrs. Miller tried to talk to him again, convince him to come back to town. The others he had brought to help out tried as well, but Daniel wouldn't listen to anyone. He started digging through the wreckage.

Days passed. Daniel refused offers of assistance, rest, food, and water. He didn't stop until the construction vehicles arrived to clear away the wreckage and dispose of it. It took four construction workers to pull Daniel from the site; they had to load him into a police vehicle to drive him back to town. Mrs. Miller sat next to him, holding him as he finally broke down and sobbed helplessly like a child.

* * *

Jack glared at the Doctor as he worked the TARDIS controls. "We have to go back."

The Doctor didn't look up. "Why would we go back? Did you forget something?"

"What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?"

"Don't give me that. What did I do now? I'm sorry about this, all right? It was an accident."

The Doctor's hands stilled. "An accident?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, missing the edge to the Doctor's question, "an accident. I shouldn't have opened the TARDIS doors in flight. I said I'm sorry."

"Right. The doors," the Doctor answered, going back to what he was doing. "Apology accepted."

Jack leaned forward on the control panel. "What is your problem?! I'm the one who should be upset here!"

The slammed both his fists into the console. "You?! Why should _you_ be upset?! You're back on track, Jack. I spared you from having to make a commitment, and now you're back where you want to be. The eternal bachelor!"

Jack was stunned. "That's what this is about? You're jealous?"

"Of course not. Why would I be jealous of another one of your flings?"

"It's more than that. This one's different. You have to take me back there. I want to be with him for the rest of his life –"

"Tell me why!"

Jack wavered. "It's complicated –"

"WHY?! WHY IS THIS ONE ANY DIFFERENT!?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!"

The Doctor stared at Jack, dumbfounded. "What?" he whispered.

Jack shrugged, turning away. "You heard me. I'm sorry if that hurts you, but I mean it. I … I need him. You have to take me back there."

The Doctor still didn't move. "I can't."

Jack turned back to him, furious. "WHY NOT?!"

"Because you never came back, Jack!"

Jack stared at him.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, moving back to the safety of the console.

"I don't understand."

"Five days."

Jack had to strain to hear him. "What?"

"I drove back to town and came back with help. But when we got there, the building had been destroyed. I spent five days digging through the rubble with my bare hands. I searched, but I couldn't find you." The Doctor cut himself off as his voice broke.

Jack felt his stomach drop into his boots. "No, that's impossible."

The Doctor gave no reply, obviously trying to compose himself.

Jack sat down on the pilot's chair, as he felt the TARDIS enter the Vortex. "It was you," Jack said, unable to believe it.

The Doctor walked out from behind the control panel to face Jack. "That was my past. I was still in school then, hoping to get assigned to a TARDIS after completing my project."

Jack's brain was reeling; he was trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle and the two men he loved into one. "You … pretended not to know me when we met."

"The second I saw you, I realized that we'd meet in your future. I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that, so I had to pretend I didn't know you." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at Jack. "When Rose brought you back to life … I realized that you couldn't die, and you hadn't died on Azamarya. After years of mourning for you, I got angry. I couldn't understand why you'd left me. Then shortly after I regenerated into this body, I realized that the reason was me. I was going to go back into my own history to protect the timeline. But what I didn't know was why you _let_ me."

"You thought I left you," Jack whispered.

"I started to think 'Daniel' was just another one of your flings. Another notch on the bed post for Captain Jack Harkness."

Jack stood up and stepped closer to the Time Lord. "It wasn't like that. He – _you_ – have always been more to me than that."

The Doctor refused to meet his eyes, absently fiddling with dials on the console.

Jack was quiet for a moment. "How did you find me?"

"Your wristband."

"What? I thought you broke it!"

"You had a Doctor detector, so I decided I needed a Jack tracker," he said with a slight smile. "Good thing too. I went a bit spare when you fell out of the TARDIS until I traced the signal to Azamarya."

"So, until the Game Station, you thought I died on that planet."

The Doctor nodded, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"Doctor, I'm sorry …"

"Don't be. In the end, I was the one responsible for my own heartbreak. I'm the one that pulled you out of there. You would have stayed otherwise. I know that now."

Jack stepped a little closer, the pieces finally coming together. "You were heartbroken. You said you mourned for years."

The Doctor tried to backpedal. "Did I?"

Jack nodded. "That's why you never let anyone in, isn't it? Your companions … that's the reason why you've always been so guarded?"

"I never used the name Daniel again," the Doctor said, sidestepping the question slightly. "Not after you. I started going by John Smith."

"You didn't want to get hurt again," Jack pursued, stepping towards the Time Lord.

"Who does?" the Doctor exclaimed, throwing his arms out to the side.

Jack closed the distance between them, staring into the Doctor's eyes intently. He had the Time Lord backed up against the console. Slowly, he raised his hand and laid it against the Doctor's cheek.

"Daniel?" he whispered.

The Doctor's eyes closed. "No one's called me that in nearly eight hundred years." He opened his eyes again, meeting Jack's gaze.

"That leaves just one question, then."

"What's that?"

"After nearly eight hundred years … do you still love me?"

The Doctor looked at the floor, looking slightly ashamed.

Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

Finally, the Doctor raised his head, his eyes filled with tears. "I never stopped."

Jack pulled him into a fierce kiss, merging his love for Daniel and the Doctor. The Time Lord kissed back, releasing so much tension and passion that Jack felt almost overwhelmed.

_He loves me_, Jack thought joyously. Tears leaked from his closed lids, and he could feel the Doctor's tears splashing onto his fingertips. _He's always loved me._

When they finally came up for air, the Doctor was sagging against Jack and the console for support, his shoulders shaking slightly.

Jack held him close, stroking his brown hair softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through so much pain. But I'm here now, and I won't leave you again. I love you, Doctor."

"I love you, too, Jack," the Doctor murmured, muffled against Jack's shoulder.

"You know what happens now, right?" Jack asked, smirking.

The Doctor lifted his head and wiped his eyes. "No?"

"Eight hundred years … I've got a lot of time to make up for."

The Doctor grinned back at him. "So you're thinking … bedroom?"

"Bedroom," Jack agreed.

"Whatever you say, Captain."

They started to leave the control room, when the Doctor stopped. "Wait. There's one more thing we need to do."

* * *

The next few days were hazy, dotted with memories of being nursed by Mrs. Miller back at the tavern and informed that the construction team hadn't found any identifiable human remains.

Daniel had nothing, nothing to remember Jack by. Not one shred of him, not one piece of information that could lead him to a friend or relative.

"Daniel," Mrs. Miller said to him a week later. "Sweetie, I think it's time for you to go home. Can we call your parents? Or a friend?"

"I can't leave him."

"Daniel, the dead can't get left. It's the living that are left behind. And I know that it's painful. Believe me, I know. But you can't stop living. Jack is gone. You can sure come back and visit any time you want to, but you need to move on. You need to go home. Who should we call, sweetheart? I can do it, if you want. I won't even say what happened."

Daniel hiccupped back a sob. Mrs. Miller handed him a mug of tea, and he sipped it slowly. He didn't volunteer any information.

"I know I didn't know Jack very well," Mrs. Miller said carefully, "but I think anyone around here would tell you the same: he wouldn't want you to just stop and give up living. He'd want you to go on."

"He told me … not to go alone. And now I am."

"You won't always be. Call home. Have someone come pick you up. You don't have to be alone." She stroked his tangled blond hair. "And Jack will never be forgotten, you can count on that. He's the hero of this colony now, and we won't soon forget it."

Mrs. Miller caught the mug of tea before it hit the floor as Daniel started to sob. She sighed a little and took Daniel firmly by the shoulders. "Daniel Gallagher, what would Captain Harkness say to you right now, if he were here?"

Daniel took a few shuddering, deep breaths. "He'd … he'd tell me not to give up. That I needed to stop being so negative."

"Then do that for him, Daniel. It's what he would want, and you know it."

Daniel nodded. "I'm sorry; I've been such a burden."

"No, it's all right. I … I lost my own son years ago. Looking after you brought back some memories. Good ones. Now, go freshen up and call home."

Daniel nodded again, letting the blankets slide off him as he shuffled towards the bathroom.

He would do what Jack said; he wouldn't travel alone. But somehow, he knew that he would still always feel alone, no matter who was with him.

After he showered and called home, he started to pack his things. When he touched one of the laptops, the screen suddenly lit up.

An image of Jack smiling at him came on screen, and tears immediately stung his eyes.

"Hey, Dan. I know this is kinda silly, but I thought I'd record a little message for you as a surprise. I always try to keep you on your toes, you know," Jack said with mischievous grin. "Though I suppose I prefer you on your knees, if I'm being honest."

Daniel nearly laughed at that.

"Anyway, all kidding aside, I just wanted to tell you something that I know would be kinda hard for me to say face to face. I want to say thank you. I was all but devastated when I landed on this planet all alone, but you saved me. You kept me from getting discouraged; you gave me hope, as clichéd as that sounds. And … whatever happens, wherever we each go from here, I'm so glad I met you, Daniel Gallagher. You really are brilliant, and you're one in a billion. So … thanks. For everything. "

The laptop screen blinked off, and Daniel picked it up and cradled it to his chest, crying anew.

* * *

"How was that?" Jack asked after he had finished his third take of the message.

"That's the one," the Doctor answered, wiping a tear from his eye. He knelt down in front of the laptop. "Let me just set this, so it will play the minute I touch it."

Jack stood up, looking around the slightly earthquake-damaged room he'd left about twelve hours earlier. "This is so weird. It was just today for me … but it seems like it was another life."

"All set," the Doctor announced, standing back up. "We'd better go in case someone comes in here." He headed towards the TARDIS parked middle of the hotel room.

"You sure you don't want one last romp on the bed?" Jack asked cheekily, trying to peek into the bedroom.

"You mean the one that the ceiling collapsed on during the quake?" the Doctor replied with an ironic smile.

Jack groaned. "That's just not fair," he grumbled as he followed the Doctor into the TARDIS. "Did you ever go back?"

"Hm?"

"Besides right now, did you ever take the TARDIS back here? Check to see how the colony did?"

The Doctor blushed slightly and nodded. "I can show you."

* * *

When Jack opened the TARDIS door again, he found he was standing in front of Leighton canyon. It was the first time he'd the sun set over it from this angle.

"It looks pretty much the same," Jack said, leaning on the railing.

"It might look it," the Doctor said, "but it's not the same."

"Yeah, the Rift energy is a lot more stable now. I can barely even feel it."

"That's not the only difference, Jack." The Doctor pointed to the information sign to the left of the railing.

Jack blinked. "What the – _Harkness_ Canyon?"

"They renamed it," the Doctor said softly, "after you. You were – are – this planet's hero. Once I had my own TARDIS, I came back here. Just once. They did well. The colony – and then the planet – prospered. Believe me, they would have heard from me if it hadn't, if _anything_ had happened here to tarnish the memory of your sacrifice."

Jack was taken aback once again by the Doctor's tone. He softly touched his shoulder. "I appreciate that. I really do." He couldn't bite back a sad smile. "You were a sweet kid, Doctor. I'm sorry –"

The Doctor turned to face him and managed a weak smile of his own. "Don't, Jack. What happened wasn't anyone's fault. It was always meant to happen. And … I guess, as much as it hurt, I still wouldn't change it, even if I could. You were – are – worth it."

Jack felt tears trickling down his face as he embraced the Time Lord again. "Don't say that. No one is worth that much pain. I'll make it up to you, I swear."

The Doctor smiled as Jack held him tightly and watched the sun sink into Harkness Canyon. He closed his eyes. "You already have."


End file.
